Indian Creek Covered Bridge, Salt Sulphur Springs West Virginia
Indian Creek Covered Bridge is both a tribute to the industriousness and ingenuity of its two young builders and a landmark in the developing rural transportation system in the area of Monroe County, West Virginia, about the turn of the twentieth century. The Weikel brothers, contractors for the structure, applied techniques acquired through self-education and common sense to design a bridge which would serve for about thirty years of continuous use and remain solid even to this day.
Monroe County, located in the extreme southeast of West Virginia, was quite rural and sparsely settled in the late nineteenth century. The natural barrier of Peters Mountain blocked much commerce to the east and south, and internal transportation was rudimentary except between the frequented springs resorts. Off the "beaten path" of main roads, railroads and waterways, what routes did exist were often narrow and dusty or muddy. This was compounded by natural barriers of terrain and water, the latter usually crossed at established fords.
As the twentieth century approached, Monroe County Court was taking an increased interest in upgrading the road system and participated in funding several improvements. Farming of transportation maintenance was a growing practice as contracts for bridges at several locations were let when the cry rose for better roads. One such improvement was planned for the Indian Creek area south of Union and Salt Sulphur Springs, and a contract was awarded for the construction of a covered bridge by Oscar and Ray Weikel in 1898.
The Weikels were sixteen and eighteen years old, respectively, at the time, and their guarantee for the bridge was backed by their uncles who ran a sawmill in the county. The young men industriously undertook the task, setting up their own sawmill near the site and preparing all materials but the iron rods, nails, and shingles. At first, the county desired an arched structure, but the Weikels made their own plans and a level-floored bridge was agreed to.
Logs were delivered to their sawmill by oxen, and the finished products were transported to the construction location by horse and wagon. Some interesting sidelights in the building show the ingenuity of the brothers. They developed their own tool to lift the large timbers into place, a sort of double-geared, back-action cant hook which was attached to each end and handled by up to four men. After the bridge was completed and accepted by the county at a cost of about $400, the Weikels became established and continued in the lumber business in Monroe and Greenbrier counties for several years.
This contract gave the young men a good start in business and bolstered the transportation system of the area for at least thirty years. It was about 1929 or 1930 when U.S. Route 219 was opened through the southern portion of Monroe County, and the old Indian Creek Covered Bridge was no longer needed. It served its purpose well, however, and now stands as a monument to the engineering skills of its young builders and the challenge of the transportation system in the rugged terrain of southeastern West Virginia.
Bridge Description
Indian Creek Covered Bridge is a single-span, modified Howe truss structure. Built about 1898, the unit sits atop abutments of hand-shaped limestone blocks which were so designed as to fit without mortar. It is slightly more than fifty feet long and fourteen feet wide at the floor, with a clearance of eleven feet.
The structural framing of the bridge is in four sections, those in the center forming an "X" pattern while the ends are triangles. There are five vertical posts on each side. From the apex of the center post an arrangement of two beams with a space between projects to the base of the posts on either side. Through this open space passes a single beam from the top of the second and fourth posts to the base of the center. From the apex of the second and fourth vertical elements to the base of the first and fifth posts projects a stout beam of two timbers that are fastened together. These wooden structural timbers vary in size from 9" x 4" to 14" x 10". The whole is strengthened by 1¼" iron rods extending from the top to the bottom of each post and attached with sturdy bolts. Additional steel braces are placed along the beams between the first and second and fourth and fifth posts, one in a vertical position and the other at about a 45 degree angle from the floor.
Interior framing for the sides and roof is simple. It is constructed with the purpose of holding protective coverings rather than contributing to structural support. The siding is of vertical pine boards and the gable roof is covered with froe-split shingles, the latter originally being of chestnut but now of red oak.
The bridge decayed to some extent after use ended about 1929, but when it was leased by the Monroe County Historical Society in 1965, restoration work was undertaken. Abutments and framing were intact at the time. A brother of the original builders was contracted to replace deteriorating materials and strengthen the structure. The supporting truss-work was solid and merely had to be touched up. Siding was replaced as necessary, a new floor was laid, and a new roof was put on. Restoration was to be as authentic as possible, but red oak had to be substituted for chestnut for the shingles and these were made on the site with a froe and mallet. An interesting sidelight to roof construction is that shingles were placed in the dark of the night under a moon (so they would not turn up!) in deference to ancient custom.
The Monroe County Historical Society continues to maintain the bridge and now uses it to house a collection of horse-drawn vehicles.
General view north (1973)
Interior (1973)
Side view showing roadway approach and east abutment 1974 (1973)
