I have mentioned in several of my posts, that bridges were either built by or restored by Milton Graton (and his sons) of Ashland, New Hampshire. I have seen bridges as far south as Georgia and as far west as Michigan which bear the Graton name. I am always on the lookout for resource books for both Courthouses and Covered Bridges. A unique opportunity came my way recently, which is the book sharing the title of this post. Copyright dates range from 1978 to 1990. Many of the projects featured in the book are ones that I have photographed.
Some have had some interesting stories. Details of construction as well as the preparation and installation work are included, so those interested in the technical aspect of what the Gratons have done will satisfy them immensely. I will focus on the bridge stories paragraph by paragraph.
In Warner, New Hampshire, a short distance up I-89 from Concord, there stood 3 covered bridges in the mid-1960s. Only two of them remain. The third one--the Bagley Bridge--was in terrible shape and the Gratons wanted to save it, but the town didn't want to expend any funds. In a tug of war between the town and historical societies, the aftermath was Graton purchasing the bridge for a dollar and moving it to Ashland for storage. Nothing more was mentioned in the book, so I was curious as to what, if anything, had happened to it. As it turns out, the early 1800s bridge was re-assembled in Highlands, North Carolina, around 2006, as the entry to the Bascom Center. Some new lumber was required, and the name of the bridge has changed, but it is still considered authentic. It is just off US 64 east of Franklin.
The Fisher Bridge in Wolcott, Vermont, was one of three RR covered bridges within a short distance that the rail company wanted to dismantle. It is the only one that was saved from demolition. It was used up until the late 1980s, although it appears to have been neglected in recent years along Vermont Route 15 between Hardwick and Wolcott.
The first new bridge built in the 1900s in Vermont for several decades was fraught with battles from stubborn property owners within the village of Woodstock. Using oxen and ginpoles as well as other techniques to work within a narrow space with no trespass orders on either side, the Middle Bridge on Union Street was constructed in 1969--replacing a steel bridge, no less. It was burned a few years later by arson, but it was not a total loss and it was repaired.
The Bedell Bridge which crossed the Connecticut River below Lancaster, New Hampshire, was a mammoth undertaking. It stood as a finished project for only a short time, however, as a big wind came up the river and blew it off its moorings and into the river. No attempt to rebuild it ever occurred. No tale of its demise was presented in the book. Sadly, I never saw this particular bridge. Its restored life lasted from July to September 1979.
The two small Campton, New Hampshire, bridges--Turkey Jim and Bump--are detailed. Turkey Jim has most recently been restored after destruction from Hurricane Irene in 2011--itself a restoration in the late 1950s of an earlier bridge. The Bump Bridge was restored/replaced in the 1970s over the Beebe River. The Gratons also were awarded the restoration of the large Blair Bridge, just off Route 3. A few bridges in nearby Plymouth and Rumney are also mentioned. The Smith Bridge was destroyed by fire and rebuilt around 2003, so that part of the project was not mentioned. Sadly, I was not able to locate my photos of the old bridge.
Several projects were mentioned in the Perkinsville, Vermont, area. The Titcomb Bridge was a rescue and is only viewable from a distance in winter months. The Salmond Bridge was mentioned as being destroyed, but one under that name appears in town just off the main road in town. The third bridge in the area, the Downers Bridge over the Black River, is covered in detail in the book.
I've driven by the Groveton Bridge hundreds of times. Now bypassed by US Route 3, its white portals and sides provide a great contrast of the surrounding area. There used to be a paper mill with a huge pulp pile to serve as a backdrop, but that is now long gone. The restoration, done in the 1960s, is wearing off as of my last visit in June 2018. A town water pipe passing through the bridge was one of the obstacles faced.
Baltimore Bridge in Springfield, Vermont, was moved in the early 1970s, saving it from destruction. An old schoolhouse is on the site as well, and easy parking just east of the village makes it convenient to photograph. There are a number of bridges in Vermont which have been restored, but you can tell which ones were done by someone else.
My last trip via Tunbridge included the Flint Bridge over the 1st Branch of the White River. That one is a Graton restored bridge from the 1970s as well. A couple in New York State caught my eye as well. Old Blenheim--since destroyed and rebuilt--was the oldest and longest in the state. I've not been to the new one, but it would not surprise me if there is a sign mentioning the Gratons on site. The Newfield Bridge in Newfield--just west of Ithaca--was saved by a local family and it was restored by the Gratons. I visited there last August. It is New York's westernmost covered bridge.
The final bridge in the northeast is the New England College Bridge in Henniker, New Hampshire. It was build as a footbridge for students to get to the part of the campus across the river safely in the 1970s and oxen were used to draw it across.
One out of the region was built in the early 1980s. In Frankenmuth, Michigan, a long bridge spans the Cass River which was built at the behest of a Bavarian Inn owner. The town is themed in Bavarian style, and so is the bridge (it sports 6 dormers). I visited here as a slight detour, and by chance, during one of my courthouse treks las July. The book is a definite must for any covered bridge enthusiast. I found a new copy of it on eBay for a very low price. I would recommend looking there first.
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