Zumbrota Covered Bridge 1869-1932

Zumbrota Covered Bridge 1869-1932. . A vital river crossing for 63 years, 1869 , The new bridge was designed to be "high enough and strong enough", because spring floods had destroyed earlier river crossings., 1871 , A roof and sidewalls were added to protect the wooden structure from the weather., 1932 , The official notice from the Minnesota State Department of Transportation stated that the bridge was too narrow to accommodate the flow of traffic, and it would be removed., Local citizens and the State of Minnesota covered the cost of moving the bridge. William Henke used his horses to move the bridge one mile, and was paid $600. Its new home was the Goodhue County Fairgrounds., The bridge has a span of 120 feet, and is 15 feet wide. Originally, no center support was used. Snow was shoveled onto the bridge floor in the winter, enabling teams of horses to haul sleighs across., A.J. Thatcher used the Ithiel Town lattice truss design. This system of interlocking triangles provided strong support for the structure., "$10 fine for driving faster than a walk across this bridge" , This sign was posted over the entrances when automobile traffic increased. The town constable was in charge of levying fines.