The Life

The Life. . , Over time the covered bridge took on a persona of its own. There was a tollbooth, collecting a penny for those walking and twelve cents for horse teams. The bridge actually employed a toll keeper who lived in a small house next to the bridge., A sign at the east end stated, "$5.00 fine to ride or drive this bridge faster than a walk.” Snow was scattered over the interior floor during the winter to aid horse drawn sleighs. , The old bridge welcomed many generations of travelers; enabling farmers to haul their produce to market, sheltering courting couples out for a buggy ride, embracing children on their way to the nearby one-room schoolhouse, hosting weddings, art walks and other celebrations., Its unique construction earned the designation in 1964 by the U.S. Department of Interior as a National Historic Landmark. This exemplar of American ingenuity was also recognized officially in 1984 by the American Society of Civil Engineers for its innovation., ADDITIONS , 1869 - A flash flood on the town side of the creek opened a new channel requiring a small wooden extension added to the bridge. 1887 - "a herd of cattle crashed through the extension" and was rebuilt with reused materials., 1891 - The second extension fell again under the weight of a threshing machine, 1894 - An iron extension replaced the wooden extension., 1930 - The bridge was retired from active transportation service when the iron span cracked beneath a load of ice., "Blenheim History 1710-1991” authors Fanchon and Alicia Cornell