By Bob Stickley

More than 10,000 covered bridges once graced the landscape across our great country. There are only about 750, with their beautiful wooden floors, remaining throughout the United States.

Most of them are in states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. The bridges are in states with a heavy population of Amish communities.

Most of these beautiful old covered bridges, which are only wide enough for one automobile to pass through at one time, have been restored over the years to hold the beauty intact.

In Mansfield, Ohio there is one bridge that spans 247 feet. It was built in 1867 by a man by the name of Mr. Daniels and crosses what is known as Big Raccoon Creek.

One bridge in Michigan that spans the St. Joseph River is about is about 100 feet long. It is near Centerville, which has one of the best county fairs taking place each September.

I have gone there to buy live turtles for the freezer. There is a man there who traps these big, monster turtles. If you haven’t ever eaten turtle, you should try some as there are several different flavors in a turtle and they are delicious.

There is no greater sound than passing across a covered bridge with the rumble of the tires as they pass over the oak wood floors in most of the bridges.

I remember a large wooden bridge, although it was not covered, near the Lawrence County line. The bridge was there for several years, but was replaced by a modern structure.

There may be a covered bridge still remaining in Alabama, but I’m not aware of one.

It always interests me to study the great masterpieces of structure across our nation and how they came about.