Skip to main content

Crooks Covered Bridge - Parke County, Indiana



Built in 1856, the Crooks Covered Bridge is said to be the oldest of the 31 remaining covered bridges in Parke County, Indiana. The covered bridge is a 154-foot-long single-span Burr Arch truss structure that includes a hewn stone foundation. The bridge crosses Little Raccoon Creek just southeast of Rockville, Indiana, and is also known as the Walker Adams Bridge or Darroch's Lost Bridge. But the Crooks Covered Bridge has quite an interesting history behind it as well.

Crooks Covered Bridge, like many others in Parke County and beyond, was originally associated with a mill. In this case, it was Parkers Mill, which was built in 1830 on Little Raccoon Creek. Located about a half mile south of the Little Raccoon Bridge on the Rockville New Discovery Road, accounts from the mill state that a covered bridge was constructed just upstream from the ripple and dam. Parke County Commissioners records indicate that a bridge crossing the Little Raccoon Creek was discussed in 1850. In December 1855, a bridge was ordered and it was to be located on the old Rockville Greencastle Road. The original builder of the bridge was Henry Wolf and the bridge was built for $1,200.

Over time, the waterway where Crooks Covered Bridge crossed over had filled with sand and the creek had reportedly moved 20 rods to the west. Topographic maps show that an intermittent stream known as Molasses Creek was in about the location of the old creek bed. It had been decided to dismantle the bridge in 1863, but here's where various accounts make the true story seem murky. Some say the bridge washed downstream and a foundation and new road were put in place where the bridge debris landed. Others claim that the creek changed course and the bridge needed to be moved to span the banks. Another source reports General Arthur Patterson, one of the founders of Rockville, Indiana, rebuilt the bridge in 1872. Another account states that prolific covered bridge builder Joseph J. (J.J.) Daniels recommended that the Crooks Covered Bridge be rebuilt at Darroch's Site, which he considered safe from flooding. Daniels had his hand in building many covered bridges in Parke County.

I visited the Crooks Covered Bridge in June 2019. The red-painted covered bridge is a joy to visit and there is even a parallel road through the creek as well where you can take pictures from. The bridge windows are a nice touch. If you are taking a tour of the Parke County covered bridges, the Crooks Covered Bridge is certainly worth a stop, whether it's for the bridge's back story or the quaint feeling you get from seeing the bridge in modern times.


A view inside the covered bridge.

Side view of the covered bridge.

Parallel road along the covered bridge. The low profile may mean fording the creek during periods of higher water.

A gentle creek passes under the Crooks Covered Bridge.

A parting shot of the Crooks Covered Bridge. Someone must have thought that the bridge clearance was nice.


How to Get There:



Sources and Links:
Indiana Covered Bridge Society - The Crooks Bridge
Parke County - Crooks Covered Bridge # 12
Indiana Memory - Crooks Covered Bridge, Parke County, Indiana
Susan Tregoning Photography - A Guide to Parke County, Indiana: The Covered Bridge Capital of America
Travel Indiana - Explore the Covered Bridge Capital this Season
The Municipal - Maintaining covered bridges for generations to come

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dillon Road

Dillon Road is a 34.2-mile highway located in northern Coachella Valley of Riverside County, California.  Dillon Road begins at Avenue 48 on the outskirts of Indio and ends to the west at California State Route 62 near San Gorgonio Pass.  Dillon Road was developed the 1930s as a construction road for the Colorado River Aqueduct.  Dillon Road serves as a northern bypass to much of the development of Coachella Valley.  Dillon Road is known for it's frequent dips and spectacular views of San Gorgonio Pass.   Part 1; the history of Dillon Road Dillon Road was constructed as a haul road for the Colorado River Aqueduct through Coachella Valley.  The Colorado River Aqueduct spans 242 miles from Parker Dam on the Colorado River west to Lake Mathews near Corona.  Construction of the Colorado River Aqueduct began during January 1933 near Thousand Palms and was made functional on January 7, 1939.  West of Berdoo Canyon Road the alignment of Dillon Road is largely concurrent with the Colorado

Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road

Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road is an approximately 21-mile highway located in southeast Kern County.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road begins at Tehachapi Boulevard (former US Route 466) in Tehachapi and crosses the Tehachapi Mountains via the 4,820-foot-high Oak Creek Pass.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road enters Antelope Valley of the wider Mojave Desert and passes by the historic stage station of Willow Springs to a southern terminus at Rosamond Boulevard.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road has historic ties to the Havilah-Los Angeles Road and Stockton-Los Angeles Road due to the once reliable presence of water at Willow Springs. Part 1; the history of Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road Oak Creek Pass and Willow Springs were known to the local tribes of the Tehachapi Mountains for generations.  The first documented European crossing of Oak Creek Pass was during 1776 as part of an expedition by Francisco Garces.  Oak Creek Pass is as used again by John C. Fremont during an 1844-1845 expedition to e

The 1928 Iowa Hill Road Bridge

The 1928 Iowa Hill Road Bridge is a derelict structure located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Placer County, California.  The 1928 Iowa Hill Road Bridge can be found between the communities of Colfax and Iowa Hill.  The 1928 Iowa Hill Road Bridge is a wire suspension structure which spans the North Fork American River.  The 1928 Iowa Hill Road Bridge was replaced by a modern span and converted to pedestrian use following floods during 1963.   Part 1; the history of the 1928 Iowa Hill Road Bridge During 1853 gold was discovered at what to become Iowa Hill.  The gold mining claims soon led to a small community known as Iowa City being established.   By 1854, Post Office Service began at the mines of Iowa City.  By 1856 gold production at Iowa City was estimated to be around $100,000.  Iowa City was burned in fires during 1857 and 1862 but the community was rebuilt with more modernized structures.   The location of Iowa City can be seen as "Iowa Hill" on the 1873 Bancroft