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The Locust Creek Covered Bridge is located three miles west of Laclede,

Missouri on U.S. Highway 36, one mile north then 5/8 mile east on a

gravel road. It was constructed in 1863 by the firm of Bishop and

Eaton. The Missouri State Park Board restored the bridge in 1968.

The bridge originally spanned Locust Creek (now dry) with its long

axis in a northeast-southwest orientation. It. measures 20'3" high,

16'3" wide and 151" long. There are three supporting elements. The

abutment at the southwest end of the bridge and the central supporting

element are of cut stone, laid in two courses. Supporting timber mem

bers of the understructure of the bridge which extend beyond the bridge

floor are protected by metal sheathing which then slopes to meet the

stone structures. The abutment at the northeast end of the bridge con

sists of alternating coursesof heavy timber laid at right angles.

The rectangular structure with ridge roof which covers the bridge floor

is sheathed with vertical paneling, replacement panels can be easily

distinguished. Inside the bridge there are no enclosures and the

original vertical uprights and diagonal hewn timbers characteristic

of the Howe truss are visible. The trusses are held in vertical posi

tion by overhead cross bracing of iron and wood members employing the

same principles of bracing. There is also cross bracing beneath the

flooring. Square portals at either end measure approximately 12 feet

square.

^IOD (Check One or More as Appropriate)

Q Pre-Columbian i D 16th Century

[3 15th Century O 17th Century

18th Century

19th Century

D 20th Cei

1868

Aboriginal

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Q Historic

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D Education

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D Industry

D Landscape

Architecture

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The Locust Creek Covered Bridge is primarily significant as one of

only four surviving covered bridges in Missouri. It has further

significance as one of three covered bridges in Missouri employing

the Howe truss in its construction.

On Hay 19, 1868, the county court of Linn County ordered the construc

tion of a covered bridge across Locust Creek on the road from Brook-

field to Collyers Mill. The bridge was to be erected "at (a) cost

not exceeding 35,500-" The Bridge Commissioner of Linn County

(appointed by the county court) was in charge of advertising and

listing requirements for bids on the bridge, supervising construc

tion and keeping the bridge in good repair. The Locust Creek Covered

Bridge was to have a span of 150', JO' of approach (25' on each end)

and two substantial abutments which must last 10-15 years. (County

Court Docket - Linn County, Book B, May 19, 1868, p. 7.)

The firm of Bishop and Eaton was awarded the bridge contract by the

. county court on August **, 1868. The payment was to be in 1C$ bonds.

(County Court Docket - Linn County, Book B, August k, 1868, p. 2^.)

Bishop and Eaton followed the construction plans of William Howe of

Massachusetts who patented his bridge truss in iS'tO. Howe revised

the popular kingpost truss, which was composed entirely of wood and

consisted of an upright center post (kingpost) framed into a tri

angle by two diagonals and a bottom chord, (see photograph)

(Dorothy J. Caldwell, "Missouri's Covered Bridges," Missouri His

torical Review.61:251, January 1967.) Howe combined the use of

wood and metal in his truss: wood for the diagonal braces, the

upper and lower chords and the end posts; iron rods for the king

posts. (Kramer Adams, Covered Bridges of the West, 1963, p. 30

and Caldwell, January 1967, p. 232.)These vertical iron tension

rods were secured to the upper and lower chords by means of nuts

and washers. These could be tightened at any time to remove the

saggings of old age. (Adams, 19&3, p. 30.) The Howe truss was

employed or used more than any other bridge type because it was

economical, simple to construct and durable.

The covered bridge movement began in the eastern United States and

migrated westward in the iSOO's with the shifting 'frontier. Con

structed almost entirely of wood using simple tools, these bridges

Form 10.300o

(July 1969)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

KATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM

(Continuation Sheet)

Missouri

LinnFOR NFS USE ONLY

ENTRY NUMBER

(Number ell enttlea)

LOCUST CRE3K COV3HED B3IDGE

proved very economical and practical in the forested areas of

the United States. The bridges opened up easier lines of trans

portation and communication in states where streams and rivers

were prevalent.

Pioneer builders covered the bridges with a roof and siding just

as they "covered" their houses and barns. The roof protected the

timber construction from extremes in temperature and kept the

bridge floor free from the elements. Many bridges had a barn-

like appearance in order to coax skittish horses and farm animals

across rushing streams and rivers. (Eric Sloane, American Barns

and Covered Bridges, 195^, p. 85.)

Thousands of covered bridges were built in the United States,

mainly during the iSOO's, but floods, fire, vandalism and age

have destroyed the majority of them.

The Missouri State Park Board owns and maintains the Locust Creek

Covered Bridge. The other three surviving bridges are: Union

Covered Bridge in Monroe County, Sandy Creek Covered Bridge in

Jefferson County and Burfordville Covered Bridge in Cape Girardeau

County.

:;9.;:MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES , :, :>^

b>

1. Adams, Krarner. Covered Bridges of the West. Berkeley: Howell-

North, 1963.

2. Caldwell, Dorothy J. "Missouri's Covered Bridges," MissouriHistorical Heview, 61:229-236, January .196?.

3. County Court Docket - Linn County, Book B, May 19, and August 'r,1868.

:: ;:CfeOGRAPHtCAL DATA : : : : . : : .

—————— . ———————————————— ————————————————CORNER LATITUDE LONGITUDE

Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds

NW o . . o

NE ° o . .

SE o . . o

" '• ' — : — —. ———— ' ' : '«..' —— ' •,';•"' ";'•'••••;:."''•• r -_^-:_

LATITUDE LO

Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees 1

39 ° V? ' 30 ' 93°

APPROXIMATE ACREAGE OF NOM NATED PROPERTY: leSS than ten

STATE: CODE

STATE: CODE

STATE: CODE

STATE: CODE

COUN T Y

COUNTY:

COUNTY :

COUNTY:

-4GITUDE

linutes Seconds

14 ' 03"

CODE

CODE

CODE

CODE

piu FORM PREPARED BY; ; : / ' '• : .' '. '">••; '•• * " A ° : '"': "• \f. '•>'• • : ;vNAME AND TITLE:

Charla A. Pirarott, Research HistorianORGANIZATION Missouri state Park Board DATE

State Historical Survey and Planning Office March

P.O. Box 176, 1201* Jefferson BuildingCITY OR TOWN:

Jefferson CitvfcSSlMEiLTlAISCiN OFFiCER CERTIFfCAT ION :; :;: :- ;;; :

As the designated State Liaison Officer for the Na

tional Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law

89-665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion

in the National Register and certify that it has been

forth by the National Park Service. The recomnended

level of significance of this nomination is:

National Q State ffl Local Q

Name

Joseph Jaeger, Jr.

Title Director, Missouri State Park

Board, and Missouri State Liaison Officer

Date

STATE

Missouri 65101

2, 1970

CODE

2k:• NATIONAL REGISTER VERIFICATION

I hereby certify that this property is in

National Register.

eluded in the

Chief, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation

Date

ATTEST:

Keeper of The National Rei

Date

ister

Form 10-300o

(July 1969)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM

(Continuation Sheet)

Missouri

LinnFOR NPS USE ONLY

ENTRY NUMBER

LOCUST CRSJK COVERED B5IDGE

Missouri State Historical Survey (state)

1970

Missouri State Park Board

P.O. Box 176

120k Jefferson Building

Jefferson City, Missouri 65101 Code:

Form 10-300o

(July 1969)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM

(Continuation Sheet)

Missouri

LinnFOR NPS USE ONLY

ENTRY NUMBER

LOCUST CREEK COVE3ED BRIDGE

Sloane, Eric. American Barns and Covered Bridges. New York:

Wilfred Funk,

U.S.G.S. 15' Quadrangle

"Brookfisld"

(l?i;6)

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STREET AND NUMBER:

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mile north, then east 5/8 mile on gravel road___________________

CITY OR TOWN:

NBA, Section 3 - Township 57N - Hange 21W______________________

CODE

COUNTY:

CODE

Missouri

64651

24_________Linn___________ 115

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AND NUMBER, 5 miles west of Laclede ,

Missouri, on U.S. Highway 36, 1

mile north, then east 5/8 mile on travel road

NE>i. Section 3 - Township 57N - Ranse 21W

Missouri

64651

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115

HOTO CREDIT: Photocopy by Martha L. Kusiak, Missouri State Park Board

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Locust Creek Covered Bridge

m:Qes west of Laclede, Missouri, on U.S. Highway

ile north, then east 5/8 mile on gravel road

NIK, Section 3 - Township 57N -..Range 21W

Missouri

CODE [COUNTY:

2k

ILinn

113

PHOTO CRE:D1T: Photocopy by Martha, L.

_ Kusiak_

t Ml.ssoui*i_3tajte_ Park,Board

lQ6g from Covered Bridges of the.West (p. 51) by Kramer Adams

: FILED AT: Missouri State Park Board, P.O. Box 1?6

_______1 ?n4 Jefferson.-Bill 1 d-j_ng. ....J_ef£egsoiL.JIitY- Mj_ssQ.yr

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