A Few Facts About the Bridge

In 1870, Pendleton County Commissioners entered into a contract with J.J. Newman and F. B. Wheeler, who were architect and bridge builders from Middletown, Ohio. The Commissioners of Pendleton County at the time were A. Phillips, C. H. Lee, Jackson Drucker, John Wheeler, and C. A. Wandelohr. Completed on January 1, 1871, it cost $18,450. Charles Borland's history of Butler refers to the bridge's "immense cost," but also noted that it gave Butler "permanent prosperity." It carried US 27, and was reported to be in fairly good shape until the high water of the January, 1937 flood did it in. The sides and top were removed, and it was briefly used as an open bridge, until it was torn down in September of 1937.

At the age of 92, in 1975, Mr. Ira Yelton noted that the covered bridge was the coolest place in town, and that many animals sought refuge from the heat inside the bridge, and that "until people walking learned to carry a light with them, many received bad falls over some animal sleeping there. I myself as a boy fell over a cow, but no damage done."

The old covered bridge is frequently referred to the longest covered bridge in the world, but that appears to be open to question.

The bridge was replaced by a concrete structure costing over $200,000.00, and named the American Legion Memorial Bridge. Miss Mable Howe writes of this newer bridge's grand opening that it was dedicated by Happy Chandler and several members of the state highway commission on October 30, 1937. There was music from the Fort Thomas military band, church ladies serving chicken dinners for a buck a plate, and a double wedding performed on the new bridge.

The cited references are all from As I Remember Butler, a compilation of historical pieces about Butler from the Butler Women's Club, 1975.