Clinton Covered Bridge
| Clinton Covered Bridge | |
| Bridge | |
 Double lane covered bridge in Clinton, Indiana
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| Official name: Clinton Covered Bridge | |
| Named for: Clinton, Indiana | |
| Country |  United States |
|---|---|
| State |  Indiana |
| County | Parke |
| Township | Florida |
| Road | Elm Street |
| Crosses | Wabash River |
| Coordinates | 39°39′25.28″N 87°23′43.66″W / 39.6570222°N 87.3954611°WCoordinates: 39°39′25.28″N 87°23′43.66″W / 39.6570222°N 87.3954611°W |
| Length | 790 ft (241 m) including draw span |
| Builder | Hirem Bishop |
| Design | Long Truss 2 lane 3 covered spans and one 70 foot draw span |
| Material | Wood |
| Built | 1853 |
| - Original cost | $25,000 to $30,000 |
| Destruction | 1899 |
  Location of the Clinton Covered Bridge in Indiana
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 Location of Indiana in the United States
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The Clinton Covered Bridge was on the east side of Clinton, Indiana. The Long Truss style bridge with double lanes, triple covered spans and one 70 foot draw span was built by Hirem Bishop in 1852-53 and destroyed by electric cutting wire in 1899.
This is the "1/2" bridge of Parke County. It crossed the Wabash River at Clinton, In, located in Vermillion County, Indiana. The bridge had originally been proposed by the Wabash and Erie Canal to connect Clinton with Clinton Locks, now Lyford. Canal Engineer T.L. Williams had estimated that the bridge would cost between $25,000 and $30,000, the Wabash & Erie Canal even gave $16,700 towards the bridge with the balance to be paid by the farms and citizens of Clinton.
In a letter dated September 10, 1851 to Joseph J. Daniels there is indication that he and A.B. Condit intended to bid on the contract for the bridge under the name of Daniels and Condit Bridge Builders. However, in 1852 the contract was awarded to a Mr. Bishop, this could be the same C.W. Bishop that is credidted with building Irishman's Bridge in Vigo County in 1845. He though in turn hired his brother, Hirem Bishop, as forman. Hirem was also credited as the builder. Bishop purchased two lots located north of the bridge site which he used to build the bridge frames starting in 1852. In June 1853 the frames were dismantled and reassembled on the piers already built in the Wabash River.
It can be noted that the two lots stayed in the Bishop family for years with Hirem building a "home place" on one lot with his son building a house on the other lot. Today these lots are occupied by Mike's Motors.
To partially recover the costs of construction and maintenance, also to earn a profit, the Clinton Covered Bridge was a toll bridge, because of this it would also be considered a private bridge. The toll keepers lived and worked out of the toll house located on the north corner of the Clinton side of the bridge. Francis Cunningham would be the toll keeper from around 1870 until his death in 1880. A.T. Patterson, who worked for J.J. Daniels building the Terra Haute Ohio Street Covered Bridge and Hirem Bishop building the Clinton Covered Bridge, worked as a toll keeper in his retirement years. There is a source that claims a Mr. Weber was the last toll keeper, but another source states that John H. Birt was actually the last toll keeper. Mr. Birt lived in the toll house and maintained a shoe shop there where he made and repaired shoes. Dr. J.H. Bogart was the last private owner of the bridge. In February 1892 he sold it to the Vermillion County Commissions for $4,500 with a few stipulations. First, he wanted to retain possession and continue collecting tolls until the bridge was destroyed, and, second, he would be the one to destroy it, in a safe and acceptable manner.
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Wikipedia