Roseville Covered Bridge 1866 | |
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Coordinates | 39°39′8.03″N87°17′37.8″W / 39.6522306°N 87.293833°W Coordinates: 39°39′8.03″N87°17′37.8″W / 39.6522306°N 87.293833°W |
Carries | C.R. 325W |
Crosses | Big Raccoon Creek |
Locale | Roseville, Indiana, Parke, Indiana, United States |
Official name | Roseville Covered Bridge 1866 |
Other name(s) | Coxville Covered Bridge 1866 |
Named for | Roseville, Indiana |
Characteristics | |
Total length | 250 ft (76 m) |
History | |
Constructed by | J. J. Daniels |
Built | September 1866 |
Destroyed | April 10, 1910 Arson |
Location | |
The Roseville Covered Bridge 1866, also known as the Coxville covered bridge, is in Coxville also known as Roseville. The double span Burr Arch covered bridge structure was built by Joseph J. Daniels in 1866 and destroyed by arson in 1910. This was the second bridge at this location. [1]
The Parke County Commissioners ordered an engineering plan for the Roseville Covered Bridge from Joseph J. Daniels on September 7, 1865. Requests for bids were placed with the bids being open on October 4, 1865. J. J. Daniels was awarded the contract for $15,000 and the bridge was completed the following September, 1866. The bridge was built the same year as the Harrison Covered Bridge.
By 1910 Roseville was entering a new period of prosperity. With a sand plant northwest of the bridge and numerous coal mines in full production. The steep hillside on the west side of Big Raccoon Creek was lined with hotels, saloons, and stores, all hastily built in boomtown style. With the first floors of the buildings set against the hillside, and built on stilt like pilings, long flights of stairs were required to reach the first floor from the road. Even the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad was running four passenger trains and 16 freight or coal trains through Roseville every day.
Saturday, April 9, 1910, would turn out to be a bad day for Roseville and two young men. After arriving at the glass sand plant, near the bridge, in a surly mood, the younger of the two would be arsonist argued with the foreman and was fired. The older of the two, 25, walked off the job with him. From there they visited the local "blind tiger" to drink. [2]
Around 11pm that evening the night watchman at the glass sand plant discovered a fire on the roof. With the help of several others they were able to put the fire out. That's when they found an oil soaked rag had been thrown on the roof to start the fire. After midnight, when the men that had helped fight the fire started home, they found that the bridge was on fire but was too far gone already to save it. There had been some tracks allegedly left by the arsonists but because of the pairs attitude at the fire attention was focused on them.
Because the Parke County Sheriff wasn't available one of the counties deputies started an investigation. He deputized another man and had Blake Gloss drive them from Rockville to Roseville. Acting on reports on the younger man, he was soon arrested. When they checked the home of the older man they didn't find him. Following another report that he was walking toward Rosedale the deputy started that way. The older arsonist changed his mind though and turned back toward home. While walking past the bridge ruins he was recognized and the assistant deputy started chasing him. The arsonist ran down the railroad tracks but was caught. They were both moved to Rockville sometime after noon on Sunday and placed in the Parke County Jail. On Monday they confessed and a few weeks later they were sentenced to 2-21 year terms at the State Reformatory at Jeffersonville. It would seem though that the two men were unrepentant of their crime. While waiting in the Rockville jail they composed a ballad describing their adventure. Only the first stanza though is remembered: "We first set fire to the sand plant. And went on up the ridge. And it didn't prove successful. So we went and burned the bridge."
The Roseville Covered Bridge was the only bridge in Parke County that had fire insurance, but, by the time of the fire, it had long expired.
Parke County lies in the western part of the U.S. state of Indiana along the Wabash River. The county was formed in 1821 out of a portion of Vigo County. According to the 2010 census, the population was 17,339, an increase of 0.6% from 17,241 in 2000. The county seat is Rockville.
The first Bridgeton covered bridge was a double-span Burr Arch bridge built in 1868 by a crew led by J. J. Daniels. It was closed to traffic in 1967. It was built to replace two prior open wooden bridges that had fallen in. After its destruction by fire, it was replaced in 2006 by a reproduction.
The Crooks Covered Bridge is a single span Burr Arch Truss structure that crosses Little Raccoon Creek built in 1855-1856 by Henry Wolf just southeast of Rockville, Indiana.
The Neet Covered Bridge is a Burr Arch single span structure that was built by Joseph J. Daniels in 1904 over Little Raccoon Creek southwest of Rockville, Indiana.
The covered bridges of Parke County are well-known tourist attractions in Parke County, Indiana, United States, which touts itself as the "Covered Bridge Capital of the World". The county claims to have more covered bridges than any other county in the United States. This is due to several reasons, mainly due to the numerous streams and creeks in the county, and having the natural resources and designers to build the bridges.
The Jackson Covered Bridge also known as the Rockport Covered Bridge is located in the 'forgotten town' of Rockport, northwest of Bloomingdale, Parke County, Indiana, USA.
The Roseville Covered Bridge, also known as the Coxville covered bridge, is southeast of Mecca, Indiana. The double span Burr Arch covered bridge structure was built by Joseph J. Daniels in 1910. This is the third bridge at this location.
The Sanitorium Covered Bridge is a bridged located east of Rockville, Indiana. The single-span Burr Arch covered bridge structure was built by Joseph A. Britton in 1913.
The Thorpe Ford Covered Bridge is northeast of Rosedale, Indiana. The single span Burr Arch Truss covered bridge structure was built by Joseph A. Britton in 1912.
The Coal Creek Covered Bridge was on the east side of Lodi, Indiana. The Burr Arch single span style bridge crossed Coal Creek and was built by J. J. Daniels in 1869. It was destroyed by arson on June 28, 1992.
The Dooley Station Covered Bridge was east of Dooley Station, Indiana. The Burr arch truss style single span covered bridge crossed Little Raccoon Creek and was built by W.C. Carty in 1917 and destroyed by arson in 1960.
The Greencastle Road Covered Bridge is a "lost" bridge in the truest of senses, not only is it gone, but the exact records of where, if at all, it existed have been lost to history. Henry Wolf probably built it sometime before 1863 on a section of Greencastle Road that no longer exists.
The Hargrave Covered Bridge was west of Portland Mills, Indiana. The single-span Burr Arch covered bridge structure was built by J. J. Daniels in 1847 and destroyed by a flood in 1913.
The Harrison Covered Bridge was north of West Union, Indiana. The double-span Burr Arch covered bridge structure was built by J. J. Daniels in 1866 and damaged by flood waters in December 1875.
The Hollandsburg Covered Bridge was southeast of Hollandsburg, Indiana. The single-span Burr Arch covered bridge structure was built by J. J. Daniels in 1872 and torn down in 1930 during the expansion of U.S. Route 36 (US 36).
The Jessup Covered Bridge was north of Jessup, Indiana. The single-span Burr Arch covered bridge structure was built by the Jefferson P. Van Fossen in 1910 and destroyed by flood in 1989.
The Plank Road Covered Bridge was east of Rockville, Indiana. The single-span Burr Arch covered bridge structure was built by Henry Wolf in either 1854 or 1859 and destroyed in the Great Flood of 1913.
The Red Covered Bridge was east of Rosedale, Indiana. The double-span Burr Arch covered bridge structure was built by J. J. Daniels in 1880 and destroyed by arson on October 13, 1976.
The Star Mill Covered Bridge was north of West Union, Indiana. The double-span Burr Arch covered bridge structure was built by J. J. Daniels in 1861 and destroyed by flood waters in 1866.