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| Where was this covered bridge located in Wilcox County, Ala.? |
Wil Elrick and Kelly Kazek recently released a fascinating
new book called “Covered Bridges of Alabama,” and between its covers you’ll
find an intriguing historical mystery related to Wilcox County.
Officially released on Monday by The History Press, “Covered
Bridges of Alabama” is arguably the most complete book ever published on the
subject of covered bridges in the state and is a “must read” for Alabama
history buffs. The book describes the state’s existing covered bridges and
details covered bridges that have been lost to disaster, fire, war and the
ravages of time. The book also provides a highly entertaining look at the legends
and lore surrounding many of Alabama’s covered bridges.
The book also contains dozens of high-quality photos taken
by the authors as well as historical photos from such sources as the Alabama
Department of Archives and History. One such photo will be of especial interest
to residents of Wilcox County.
On the opening page of the chapter about “Alabama’s Lost
Covered Bridges,” readers will see an old, black and white photo of an unnamed
bridge in Wilcox County. The caption beneath the photo reads: A covered bridge
in Wilcox County is shown in 1938. It is no longer standing.
Unfortunately, a close reading of the entire book revealed
that there was no additional information about this covered bridge in Wilcox
County. I contacted the authors to see if they had any more information about
this bridge, especially where it was located, when it was built and what
happened to it.
Kazek, an award-winning journalist who is perhaps best known
for being AL.com’s “weird news reporter,” responded a few days later, saying
that the photo came from the Alabama Department of Archives and History, and
that nothing more was known about the bridge aside from what was printed in the
photo caption. Kazek was kind enough to send me a copy of the photo, and I took
a close look at it to see if I could glean any more information from the photo
itself.
If you look closely at the photo, you’ll see what appears to
be three rectangular signs. The most prominent of these is in the top left-hand
corner of the bridge’s entrance and appears to be a soft drink advertisement.
One of the words on the sign is “Cola,” but I couldn’t make out any of the
other words on the sign.
Just below this sign, there appears to be a dark, envelope-sized
sign. I couldn’t make anything out of that one. Perhaps it was a mile marker or
told what body of water presumably flowed beneath the bridge.
Last, what appears to be another large sign can be seen on
the top right-hand corner of the bridge’s entrance. A limb or a pole of some
type partially blocks a complete view of it. The sign almost looks like an
American flag, but more than likely, it was also an advertisement of some sort.
In any event, the photo was taken in 1938, and the bridge
likely remained in place for a number of years after that. With that said, I
think there’s a good chance that more than a few readers will remember this
bridge, where it was located and what happened to it. Who knows, maybe the
remnants of this old covered bridge are still out there somewhere in the county
right now on some long abandoned county road.
In the end, let me hear from you if you recognize this old
bridge and have any more information about it. According to “Covered Bridges of
Alabama,” there are only 11 authentic historical bridges left in the state, and
any information about these and others bridges, like the one in Wilcox County,
is considered important to historians and researchers. Before I close out, if
you enjoy reading about Alabama history, and especially historic structures
like covered bridges, I highly recommend Elrick and Kazek’s new book, “Covered
Bridges of Alabama.”
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