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More Covered Bridges in Indiana courtesy of Ronald Branson of County History Preservation Society.
to more pictures from the past
Mary Patricia Shaw Walker, abt 1920
her son James E. Walker abt. 1915
her grandaughter Victoria Lynn Schoolcraft
abt.1943
her daughter Barbara Walker Schoolcraft
and her husband Sgt. R.A. Schoolcraft; 1942
Maybelle Walker, Kenny Sumpter and Dorothy
Walker abt. 1940
Maybelle Walker Leland at her retirement
1977
Not really knowing the history on this bridge I posted a query to [email protected],
below are the replys as they come in:
"The walkerville bridge was on Vine Street. There
was a separate covered
bridge on the Rushville Road. I have a picture
of that and will try to send
you a link to
it from my web page. They moved the Rushville Road bridge to
the fairgrounds."
George Young
This from one of the older Shelbers:
"I left Shelbyville 47 years ago and have not
really been back very much and
certainly only for short visits. I did
check with my Mother ----now right at
90 years old----who left S-ville 18 years ago.
We concur on the folowing:
The Walkerville Bridge DID have covered sidewalks
on each side.
The Bridge spanned Blue River--Big or Little?????----.
It was located at the
end of Vine Street--in fact Vine street deadended
into the bridge curving
slightly to the right.
After one crossed the bridge, you were in Walkerville
and the Fairgrounds
were located in Walkerville.
Also as you crossed the bridge, on the left would
be the Catholic cemetery
and a bit further down is or was the entrance
to Forest Hills Cemetery.
After crossing the bridge, one would bear to
the right to reach the
Fairgrounds. I personally have no information
regarding the moving of the
bridge but my Mother---Orva Richeson----- feels
that it would have been a
smaller bridge as the Walkerville Bridge was
rather a large (and beautiful)
bridge.
Hope this helps,"
Sheila Richeson Knobeloch----- Shelbyville High
School Class of 1948
This is from another older Shelber who comes back every year.
"Sheila is correct about the location of the Walkerville
bridge. It spanned
Little Blue River at the end of Vine and was
replaced by the "new" cement
bridge that stands there now. The
covered bridge DID have covered walkways
on each side, making it unique. See the
photo Rich Leland submitted to this
site recently. That is the Walkerville
Bridge. A shame they took it down.
It WAS this bridge that was on display at the
fairground for many years.
There was also ANOTHER smaller covered bridge
about a mile out from the
above bridge, on the Old Rushville Road.
I don't know what happened to it.
If I remember correctly, the Old Rushville Rd
was cut off when they built
I-74 and now deadends. (I sometimes get
the Old Rushville Rd and the
Knightstown Rd confused as the both fork off
just past the cemetery.)"
Peggy Graham Cliadakis
SHS class of 55
"Wasn't the Walkerville bridge the one by the
cemetery? Don't feel old I remember it
also and I'm not that old. Ha!!!
In Shelbyville a Pictorial History , there are 2
good pictures on P. 20. Says it was built
in l891 and torn down in 1958. It had a
walkway on both sides." Sandy
From Diane Pennington on the Walkerville Bridge.
I just viewed the picture of the Walkerville Bridge and read some of the
comments that were said about it. I grew up in Walkerville and crossed the
Walkerville Bridge no less than once a day during that time. It spanned the
Little Blue River. My mother still lives in Walkerville. I even have a
woodcut of the bridge that the Shelby County Historical Society sold several
years ago hanging on my living room wall. I loved that old bridge.
In 1959, it was torn down, due to old age, and replaced with the current
bridge. It was never reassembled anywhere else. The bridge that was on
display at the Fairgrounds for several years was the old Cedar Ford Bridge
that also crossed the Little Blue River just off of the Old Rushville Road.
When I was a teenager, I had the pleasure of being taken on a "Snipe hunt"
out by the Cedar Ford Bridge.
I still keep close tabs on Shelbyville, I live in out-of-state now, and
notice that people who write articles for The Shelbyville News are now
referring to the "new" bridge as the Vine Street Bridge, which drives me
crazy. I even wrote a Letter to the Editor once about it. I figure the
people who wrote those articles didn't grow up in Shelbyville or know much
about its history and that's why they refer to it this way.
Hope I have been of some help.
For information on the builder of this bridge, Emmett Loren Kennedy, from the Covered Bridge Society. Thanks to Ron Branson for this link. E.L. Kennedy was a great grandson of John Brown & Sarah Weeks, John was the brother of Mathew Brown, Revolutionary soldier who settled in Shelby Co., and is buried in Little Blue River Cemetery. E.L. Kennedy is a 3rd cousin 3 times removed of Richard M. Leland III by way of the Brown connection.