Locust Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site is a publicly owned property in Linn County,

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

, maintained as a state

historic site A historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been rec ...

by the

Missouri Department of Natural Resources The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) of the government of the U.S. state of Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied fo ...

. Also called the Linn County Bridge, the

covered bridge A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered woo ...

is located about east of Meadville, Missouri. At a length of with a width of it is the longest of the four remaining covered bridges in the state of Missouri. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1970.

History

In August 1868, a contract was awarded by the Linn County Commissioners to Bishop & Eaton for a bridge across Locust Creek, with the cost not to exceed 5,500 dollars. The structure is a

Howe truss A Howe truss is a truss bridge consisting of chords, verticals, and diagonals whose vertical members are in tension and whose diagonal members are in compression. The Howe truss was invented by William Howe in 1840, and was widely used as a bridg ...

, constructed of white pine. Vertical iron rods tightly secure diagonal wooden beams to the bottom and top of the structure. In addition to its utilitarian function, over time the bridge was a hangout for locals with some proclaiming their love for one another and their presence at the bridge with carvings along the bridge's internal walls. As a popular fishing and swimming spot, the bridge was visited by John J. Pershing; his boyhood home and the state park bearing his name are nearby. At first used only for wagon, horse, and pedestrian traffic, in the early 20th century the bridge came to be used for automotive traffic as part of Missouri Route 8. It was bypassed with the completion of U.S. Route 36 in 1930. The bridge also runs parallel to the

Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad The Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad was the first railroad to cross Missouri starting in Hannibal in the northeast and going to St. Joseph, Missouri, in the northwest. It is said to have carried the first letter to the Pony Express on April 3, ...

. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, the course of Locust Creek was changed and the bridge spanned a dry creek bed. Over time the creek bed filled with silt, leaving the bridge resting on mud much of the time. In 1968, the State of Missouri acquired the bridge and established the Locust Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site, then repaired the bridge, replacing its roof, sheeting, and flooring. The Missouri Department of Conservation undertook another major improvement in 1991, raising the bridge by six feet to protect the wooden frame and flooring from the marshy ground.

References

External links

Locust Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site
Missouri Department of Natural Resources {{National Register of Historic Places in Missouri Missouri State Historic Sites Protected areas established in 1968 Protected areas of Linn County, Missouri Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri Covered bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri Bridges completed in 1868 Buildings and structures in Linn County, Missouri National Register of Historic Places in Linn County, Missouri Howe truss bridges in the United States Covered bridges in Missouri Wooden bridges in the United States 1868 establishments in Missouri 1968 establishments in Missouri