Helmick Covered Bridge, Helmick Ohio
The Helmick Bridge was built in 1863 by John Shrake of Newark, Ohio. According to county records, Mr. Shrake built both superstructure and abutments for $2,107.15. However, on one of the stones of the north abutment is the name, F. A. Victor, 1863. A Frederick Victor is known to have done masonry work on bridges in the vicinity, so despite the county records, it would seem that Mr. Shrake had some help building this bridge. John Shrake was a well-known builder of covered bridges in Coshocton, Licking, and Tuscarawas Counties. The bridge takes its name from the all-but-forgotten hamlet of Helmick. There was once a sawmill, post office, and general store there. Helmick is still on the state maps, although there is little there today. The Helmick Covered Bridge is one of our most picturesque covered bridges in a very scenic setting. Killbuck Creek takes its name from a Delaware Indian Chief. Private property along the little-traveled township road on the north end of the bridge makes a beautiful, park-like setting. The Helmick Covered Bridge is also the last public covered bridge in Coshocton County.
Bridge Description
Helmick Bridge is a two-span wooden truss covered bridge spanning Killbuck Creek on Township Road 25 at Helmick in Clark Township section 18, Coshocton County, Ohio. This covered bridge has vertical, high-boarded siding, a metal roof, projected portals, and cut stone abutments and pier.
It is built on the once-common multiple kingpost truss plan. The kingpost is the oldest known bridge truss and employs the triangular form that has been the basis for the development of many more complex and sophisticated bridge trusses. In the basic kingpost truss, the diagonals form the compression members and the center post, or kingpost, is the tension member. This was an easy truss to build and most of Ohio's early wooden bridges were built on this plan. It was by far the most common bridge truss ever used in Ohio's wooden bridges. The Helmick Bridge is a two-span multiple kingpost, built in two separate spans and joined at the center pier. The upper and lower chords are in two sections. Both spans have 7 panels and are 83' long, making an overall clear span length of 166' with a 6½' overhang at each end. The roadway width is 11'1" between the sills, and the overall width is 15'4". The clearance is 10' and the height of the trusses is about 12'. The floor is laid cross-wise in one layer of 3" thick boards. The truss timbers are hand-hewn with the marks of the axe still plainly visible on them. A concrete wedge has been added to the east end of the pier. There is a heavy wooden support under the north span near the north abutment and two steel I beam reinforcements are also under the north span. Steel rods run under the bridge from the abutment to the pier on both sides of both spans for added strength. The north span is over dry land that is flooded in times of high water (there was 4' of water in the bridge in July 1969). Killbuck Creek flows under the south span and there are no added piers under it. The steel rods under the bridge are anchored into the sills where the bridge rests on the abutments. The siding is of random width boards with a few of these boards missing. The trusses are pinned together with wooden pins called trunnels.
The outward appearance of this covered bridge has changed little over the years except for the addition of the supports under the north span as described above. The siding appears to have always been unpainted. The metal roof is painted red.
North portal, west side of bridge (1972)
West side of bridge, looking east (1972)
