My sister and I are headed home from a road trip to the North Shore of Minnesota. Since we are traveling back to Arkansas and heading through Iowa, we decided to locate the Bridges of Madison County.
I have to say that Iowa was a pleasant surprise. It was much prettier than traveling through Missouri and Arkansas even though Northern Arkansas is beautiful. Of course the Eastern side of Iowa is cornfields and farms but at least it was pretty and green.
I will warn you ahead of time that finding these bridges means a miles and miles of travel down gravel roads, some through the cornfields I mentioned earlier. It took us about 2 hours to locate all of the bridges.
Imes Covered Bridge
The oldest of the remaining covered bridges, Imes was built in 1870 and is 81 feet in length. It was originally located over the Middle River west of Patterson. In 1887 it was moved to a spot over Clinton Creek southwest of Hanley. Imes Bridge was moved again to its present location over a natural ravine just east of St. Charles in 1977. It was renovated in 1997 at a cost of $31,807.
Holliwell Covered Bridge
Built in 1880 by Harvey P. Jones and George K. Foster, Holliwell is the longest covered bridge, measuring 122 feet. It remains in its original site over the Middle River southeast of Winterset. Holliwell was renovated in 1995 at a cost of $225,000. It is featured in “The Bridges of Madison County” movie.
Cutler-Donahoe Covered Bridge
Built in 1870 by Eli Cox, the Cutler-Donahoe bridge is 79 feet in length and features a pitched roof. Originally located over the North River near Bevington, it was moved to its present site in Winterset’s City Park in 1970. Cutler-Donahoe was renovated in 1997 at a cost of $35,538.
Cedar Covered Bridge
Sadly, the Cedar Covered Bridge was nearly destroyed by arson on April 15th, 2017. Efforts to rebuild this beloved icon are underway, and you can follow its progress on Facebook at Rebuild Cedar Bridge.
Built in 1883 by Harvey P. Jones and George K. Foster, Cedar Bridge was 76 feet long and was the last bridge open to vehicles. It was built over Cedar Creek north of Winterset on what is now US Highway 169. It was moved to its present location over the same creek in 1921. In Robert James Waller’s novel, The Bridges of Madison County, Cedar Bridge is where Francesca Johnson goes to meet Robert Kincaid to help him take photographs. Cedar is also the bridge on the novel’s cover. The bridge was renovated in 1998 at a cost of $128,073.
Hogback Covered Bridge
Someone has left a notebook to be signed by guest visiting the bridge. It was interesting to see who else was exploring Madison County.
Built in 1884 by Harvey P. Jones and George K. Foster, the Hogback Covered Bridge measures 97 feet and is in its original location in a valley north of Winterset. Hogback gets its name from the limestone ridge which forms the west end of the valley. It was renovated in 1992 at a cost of $118,810.
Roseman Covered Bridge
Here is one of the scenes from the movie The Bridges of Madison County. There were other people photographing it from this angle while we were there.
Built in 1883 by Harvey P. Jones and George K. Foster, Roseman is 107 feet in length and sits in its original location. It was renovated in 1992 at a cost of $152,515. In Robert James Waller’s novel, The Bridges of Madison County, and the movie of the same name, Roseman is the bridge Robert Kincaid seeks when he stops at Francesca Johnson’s home for directions. It is also where Francesca leaves her note inviting him to dinner.
Also known as the “haunted” bridge, Roseman is where two sheriff’s posses trapped a county jail escapee in 1892. It is said the man rose up straight through the roof of the bridge, uttering a wild cry, and disappeared. He was never found, and it was decided that anyone capable of such a feat must be innocent.
TO KNOW
You will be traveling through a lot of back country so be sure you have plenty of gas in your vehicle. I would also carry water, especially if traveling in the summer.
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