I'm on a quest to visit all the covered bridges in Indiana. Covered bridges connect us with the…read morepast. The Leatherwood Station Covered Bridge was built by the famous Indiana bridge builder, J. A. Britton in 1899. The Burr Arch bridge originally crossed Leatherwood Creek at Leatherwood Station, Indiana. The bridge was moved to Billie Creek Village, where it stands today and is open to traffic (sometimes). I've walked across several of Britton's bridges now, and they seem familiar to me. Britton built approximately 40 bridges in Indiana during his lifetime. This 72' bridge is in exceptional condition. The bridge is part of the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival, but I prefer to visit off season to avoid the crowds. There is free parking at Billie Creek Village. There are three covered bridges at the site, each with its own story. Interesting side fact, leatherwood is a tree with a pliable bark that was used by indigenous people and early settlers to make rope and other useful materials. I assume that there are leatherwood trees along Leatherwood Creek.

This is one of three covered bridges inside Billie Creek Village. J.A. Britton put up this Single…read moreSpan Burr Arch Truss design in 1899 to span Leatherwood Creek at the Leatherwood train station. The bridge was moved to its current location over Williams Creek in 1981. Also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, this is #25 on the Parke County Covered Bridge Map.

Still in Parke County but outside Rockville, this is another Joseph A. Britton covered bridge that…read morehe completed in 1913. It is a single-span Burr Arch structure. This is originally the site of two other bridges that had been washed away before this one, the State Sanatorium Covered Bridge, was moved to here. It is open to traffic But I opted to take the bypass with the Sprinter van. The road to the east is hard packed dirt and not a great run. Total length of 170 feed with a clearance of 12.5 feet, it would have been fine for my heavy van but I thought, let's not today. [Review 1297 of 2024 - 174 in Indiana - 22320 overall]

This Single Span Burr Arch Truss originally crossed Little Raccoon Creek on State Sanatorium…read moreproperty, about a mile downstream from its current location. It was moved in 2008 to carry County Road 100N across Little Raccoon Creek. #1 on the Parke County Covered Bridge Map and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, the bridge was built by J.A. Britton in 1913-- one of the twelve covered bridges that he constructed in the county.

Billie Creek Covered Bridge is the only covered bridge that is original to the Billie Creek…read moreVillage. The Burr Arch bridge was built by J. J. Daniels in 1895 over Williams Creek, just east of Rockville. The single lane bridge was open to traffic during our visit and we drove across. I love to hear the echo and feel the vibration when I drive across these old covered bridges. We crossed "at a walk" of course. The bridge is part of the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival. I like to visit the bridges off season when there are no crowds around.

One of the covered bridges in Billie Creek Village, it is the only one that is still open to…read morevehicles. And even better, the clearance and capacity were sufficient to fit my Sprinter van. It is a single lane. A Burr Arch Truss that was built by prolific builder Joseph J. Daniels, this one was completed in 1895. It was originally part of the roadway that would become US 36 nearby. The Howard and Hollandsburg Bridges nearby did get saved. Despite being open to traffic, it is still in excellent condition and well worth a visit. I believe it's a "star" in the annual Covered Bridge Festival. [Review 1295 of 2024 - 172 in Indiana - 22318 overall]

The Neet Bridge was the last bridge that we visited on our Covered Bridge Tour. You can see the…read morehistoric bridge from Bridgeton Road, but there is a better vantage point from the little parking area that is just south of the bridge. The bridge was built in 1904 by J. J. Daniels and crosses Little Raccoon Creek. The bridge is no longer passable by car but remains a lovely reminder of the past.

Parking is a bit tricky for this one, since the main road doesn't allow for parking. However, if…read moreyou get a map from Billie Creek historic village or from one of the visitor centers in town, they point out a good way to tour.

In 1910, Jefferson P. Van Fossen received the contract to erect this Double Span Burr Arch Truss…read morebridge. It carries Virostko Road across Big Raccoon Creek, replacing an earlier effort (1865) of Joseph J. Daniels that was destroyed by arson. At 263 feet in length, it is one of the longest of the surviving covered bridges in Parke County (#18 on the Covered Bridge Map). It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. As Harold Rau details in his A Guide to the Covered Bridges of Parke County, Indiana (2016), this is the one bridge with an unclear history. "Witnesses from the construction site claim the on-site foreman was Joseph J. Daniels, 84 years old at the time. But, an old photograph of the nearly finished bridge shows J.P. Van Fossen as contractor and J. Brooks as builder. The name of J.J. Daniels does not appear in the photo. The on-site witnesses didn't remember Mr. Brooks, and later photographs show portal lettering with J.J. Daniels as builder. However, the current portal inscription only reads 'Van Fossen' (p. 56)."

Just a short distance off the Red Route for touring Parke County Covered Bridges is the Roseville…read moreCovered Bridge near Coxville, IN. The Burr arch-truss style bridge was built in 1910 and restored in 1977, so it is in pretty good shape. The bridge is still in service though traffic is told to greatly reduce speeds to a walking pace to cross the span. The red and white bridge with black lettering has a total length of a whopping 282 feet (2nd longest in the County) with the single longest span of around 119 feet which crosses the Big Raccoon Creek. The rest of the length hovers over ground that can frequently flood. There is also a marker on the west side of the bridge telling about the history of Rossville. To find this bridge, take US 41 west of Rockville to Coxville Road (7 miles). Head south for 4.25 miles to CR 325 W in Coxville. The bridge is only about 400 feet ahead on this gravel road. Note that this bridge is only 0.8 miles away from Harry Evans Covered Bridge which is also on CR 325W to the north. If you are coming from Rosedale, take Main Street/Coxville Road north 2.25 miles to Coxville and CR 325W. Head east. Review #3175

The railroad trestle known locally as the Twin Arches or Four Arches is one of Greencastle's more…read moredistinctive pieces of rail infrastructure, even though it isn't as widely documented or visited as the city's depots or mainline history or the covered bridges. The arches sit along the old Big Four (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & Saint Louis) route, a corridor that reached Greencastle in 1854 when the New Albany & Salem Railroad completed its north-south line through Putnam County. The stonework of the arches reflects mid-19th-century railroad engineering, when railroads were rapidly expanding and building durable masonry structures to handle both grade changes and creek crossings. Walking up to the trestle today, you can see the symmetry of the arches and the way the structure anchors itself into the embankment. It's a reminder of how much early railroads relied on heavy, permanent construction to support steam-era traffic. The arches remain in use as part of the modern CSX line, which now operates the former Big Four route through Greencastle. Freight still moves overhead, as I noticed when I climbed up to take a look and encountered a train whizzing past. The trestle's solid masonry has held up well compared to timber or steel structures of the same era. Locals use both names - Twin Arches or Four Arches - depending on which side they approach and how much of the structure is visible through the trees and embankments. Even without interpretive signage, the trestle ties the city's present-day rail activity to the moment in 1854 when the railroad first arrived and reshaped transportation across Putnam County. [Review 1042 of 2026 - 246 in Indiana - 26221 overall]

We had a heck of a time finding this little covered bridge. We drove around in circles before we…read moreasked someone at the campground. The Catlin Bridge is located near the southside of a golf course. There is parking and we walked down to see the bridge. It was a beautiful day and people were playing golf so I had to dodge a few balls. The Parke County Covered Bridge map and sign at the site told us that the 54' bridge was built in 1907 by Clark McDaniel and relocated to the golf course in 1961. The Burr Arch bridge is lovely but showing signs of age. It looks like the creek that may run under the bridge is dry. We talked to the manager of the golf course and he recommended a couple of his favorite spots in Parke County to visit and we did. (I love Midwest hospitality.)

This Single Span Burr Arch Truss was put up by Clark McDaniel in 1907 to carry the…read moreRockville-Rosedale Road across Sunderland Creek north of Catlin. In 1961, it was moved to the Rockville Golf Course, where it now crosses Bill Diddle Creek. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, it is #13 on the Parke County Covered Bridge Map. It can be viewed from the north end of the club's parking lot.

EAGLE CAFÉ AND COVERED BRIDGE I had breakfast for dinner. It…read morewas very good, and the portions were decent. The price was very fair like most restaurants here. The server was efficient and friendly. Most of the servers at these small-town restaurants are like this. I could hear a few conversations around me. I could tell these were mostly farmers. It was very quaint. Being from California, I really appreciate this hometown type of restaurant. I wasn't there for the restaurant. That was just an extra perk. I was there for the covered bridge of the same name next to it. I left Nika in the car to eat and then walked her around the bridge. There was a dog on the other side of the bridge that was chained up out back that barked the at Nika the whole time. The bridge was beautiful as most of them are. I have a fascination for covered bridges. There are none in California. I have been to several since I've been living in Indiana. This one, as most do, has a stream under it. There is easy access to the stream unlike most covered bridges.

The Eugene Covered Bridge is one of the most accessible bridges in the area. Since the bridge was…read moreclosed to vehicular traffic in 1974, it allows for more exploration of the inside of the bridge without fear of being run over. The bridge was built in 1873 by JJ Daniels using the Burr Arch-truss system. Built over the Vermillion River, the bridge is 187 feet long, with the longest span being 176.8 feet. The bridge also has convenient parking and windows on each side that makes it easy to get great views of the river. The covered bridge uses the familiar red sides and white faced openings of the area. Review #2834