Wednesday, December 15, 2010

$5 Bridge

Some interesting history of the Elizabethton Covered Bridge (built in 1882) found at the Tennessee Department of Transportation website:
After county officials were unable to find a bridge contractor, a local doctor, E.E. Hunter, accepted the contract and hired experienced people to work on the bridge. Hunter selected Thomas Matson, who had been an engineer for the Narrow Gauge (Tweetsie) Railroad as an engineer and architect. Hunter referred to the bridge as his "$5 bridge" since he made a profit of $5 as contractor.... Structurally, the bridge contains one span, a covered wooden Howe Truss that is 137 feet long. The total length is 154.3 feet. The bridge contains one traffic lane and a single walkway.
Give the gift of Appy Treks this Christmas -- 2011 Calendar on sale here!  :)

1 comment:

  1. I enjoy reading your blog posts and learning the history of the sights in your area. I hope to visit some of these sights and take my first hike through parts of the Appalachians real soon!

    This picture reminds me of a covered bridge up in Michigan that I like to frequently use when I can. They are not something one sees too much of anymore. Love the winter scene that you captured of it!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting and joining in the discussion on Appalachian Treks! Your comment will be sent to me to be approved. Sorry for this added step, but it is necessary to avoid spam. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!