National Register of Historic Places

Mill Creek Bridge

Rockville, Parke County, Indiana
Listed
December 22, 1978
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
78000403

About this property

The Mill Creek Covered Bridge also known as "Thompson's Ford Covered Bridge," "Tow Path Covered Bridge," or "Earl Ray Covered Bridge" crosses Wabash Mill Creek (historic) southwest of Tangier, Indiana. It is a single span Burr Arch Truss covered bridge structure that was built by D. M. Brown in 1907. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The bridge crosses Mill Creek near land that was owned by Thornton Thompson. Though Thompson's Ford was probably named after Joseph Thompson who built a small mill nearby in 1829. It's also been suggested that Earl Ray Covered Bridge comes from a prominent nearby citizen and well known auctioneer. The name Tow Path Covered Bridge comes from the fact that Tow Path Road crosses the bridge. The Wabash and Erie Canal crossed Mill creek just to the south of where the bridge is built. The towpath for the canal was later turned into a road, south of the bridge where the canal ran parallel to the current road, when the canal was discontinued. The actual towpath wasn't near the bridge however. The canal had been out of use for many years by the time the bridge was built but an aqueduct that crossed the creek was occasionally used as a bridge after the canal was drained. Joseph J. Daniels had sent in a bid for the bridge on May 18, 1899, for $1,485 for the superstructure or $2,520 including the abutments. D.M. Brown was awarded the contract so apparently his bid was for less. However, Mr. Brown had so much trouble getting the bridge started that he had to hire William Hendricks, who had more experience, for the direct construction. National Register of Historic Places listings in Indiana

Location

Rockville, Parke County, Indiana
39.90850, -87.36070

Categories

ENGINEERINGTRANSPORTATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Bowsher Ford Bridge
Industrial
1.6 mi
Marshall Bridge
Industrial
2.5 mi
Rush Creek Bridge
Industrial
2.5 mi
Vermillion County Courthouse
Industrial
3.1 mi
York, W. H., Round Barn
Industrial
3.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Mill Creek Bridge listed on the National Register?

Mill Creek Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 22, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Mill Creek Bridge?

Mill Creek Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Mill Creek Bridge?

The period of significance for Mill Creek Bridge is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Mill Creek Bridge?

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