Saturday, March 15, 2008

I hope you don't think 'oh, no, not another covered bridge.' I ran across these while going through my actual photos and scanned them in. I tried to reduce their size...I am not sure why sometimes my software will reduced scanned images just fine and others I cannot. Well, I can but I don't get the expected photos...it is too weird and too long to try to go into detail. And I spent too much time with the clone tool to go back and scan them in at a smaller size.
I tried using my software to get a better photo out of this but I couldn't. It is the Narrows Bridge in Parke County, Indiana. It was built in 1883 by J.A. Britton, and retired from use in 1960 when a regular two lane paved bridge was built next to it. The bridge is still sound.
I thought I would show some of the structure of the bridge since I had these photos that really show it well. This is the bottom of it--can you imagine building this in 1883? I really wonder what kind of tools they had to accomplish this.
The picture above as well as the two below show the inside of the bridge. I love to imagine the sound of a horse walking through it...I am not sure how long the bridge is...if I find out later tonight I will edit and add the length here.

There are different views as to why bridges were built covered, some of the reasons being:
1. to protect the wood structure of the bridge. In ways I tend to think this might be the right one.
2. I have heard it thought it was to keep the bridge from getting iced over in bad winter weather. I think that is even sound reasoning.
3. still another reason is to keep horses from being scared when walking across them....
I know I have read of other reasons but right now these are the ones that stick in my mind.

3 comments:

  1. Very neat pictures Rose! NO, I am not tired of seeing your pictures, please continue to share with us!

    I LOVE, LOVE your Pink Dogwoods in your header, how did you do that? Not only HOW did you do THAT header (I can't get mine to size correctly), but I love the idea that we will soon see them in bloom in PA ~hopefully~!

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  2. I love to see and read what folk have to say about there post... the fact it IS a covered bridge is more of an interest to me.

    One of the programmes I use for resizing and altering my pictures is one called "Picasa2" it is a free download from google. When down loading choice only the programmes you want.. google as a few free programme which I find of use.

    All the best
    Tom
    If I can help in any way feel free to ask... my email is in my profile.

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  3. Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment! Thought I'd stop by and see your blog and love the covered bridge pictures. I always thought bridges were covered to give travellers a place to stop during bad weather -- but read on the Internet it's to make the bridge more stable in the event of flooding. Whatever the reason, they are beautiful!

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