Locust Creek Covered Bridge (Missouri)

The Locust Creek Covered Bridge, also called the Linn County Bridge, is a covered bridge located in Linn County, Missouri about 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Laclede and is actually beside Locust Creek in Meadville, Missouri. It is the longest of four surviving covered bridges in Missouri. The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

The Linn County Bridge was built across Locust Creek in 1868 by Bishop & Eaton. The bridge is 151 feet (46 m) long and uses a Howe-Truss system.

In the 1920s, the bridge carried Route 8, the main east-west road of northern Missouri, until U.S. Route 36 was built in 1930. After World War II, the course of Locust Creek was changed and the bridge spanned a dry creek bed.^[2][3]

In 1968, the State of Missouri acquired the bridge and established the Locust Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site. The state repaired the bridge, replacing its roof, sheeting, and flooring. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.^[3][4] Over time, the bridge was a hang out for locals, in which many boasted their love for one another and their presence at the bridge through carvings along the bridges' internal walls. In recent years, the bridge has been renovated and lifted up off the ground to help maintain and preserve its unique structure.

References

External links

• Locust Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site.
• Locust Creek Covered Bridge, Historic Bridges of the United States at bridgehunter.com
• Locust Creek Covered Bridge at RootsWeb.com