Covered Bridges Have Been Around Since Ancient China.Recorded Chinese History Has Mentioned Them Since Theearly Dynasties. In America, Covered Bridges Firstappeared Around 1805 And Have Seen A Gradual Growth Inconstruction. In Europe, They Have Existed Since Themedieval Times And There Were Once Hundreds Of Themscattered In Many Countries Such As Germany AndSwitzerland.In North America, Wooden Covered Bridges Have Seenits Height In The 19th Century. With A Lot Of Surplusin Lumber And The Need For Connecting The Differentparts Of The Country, The Ingenuity Of The Yankees Hasbeen Put To Good Use By The Construction Of Theseworks Of Art. Covered Bridges Not Only Allowed Theinterconnecting Of Different Towns But It Also Pavedthe Way To Incorporating Art And Engineering. Bridgesare Not That Easy To Make, And Covered Bridges, Asagreed Upon By Many Engineers, Are Considered To Begreat Engineering Marvels Incorporating Practicalityand Aesthetics In The Design.North America Has A Lot Of Covered Bridges And Moreare Built Everyday. But Why Are There So Many? Thenorth Is A Land Filled With Rivers And Streams And Asthe Population Grew In The Early Part Of Thenineteenth Century, A Lot Of People Made Their Wayinto The Interior Parts Of The Land To Find Areassuitable For Agriculture And Livelihood.As The Years Went By, Villages Started To Grow In Themost Convenient Of Places -- Near A Water Source. Thewaterways Where These Early American Villages Sprungup On Were Convenient Sources Of Water And Sources Ofpower Used For Running Mills. And As Villages Startedto Grow On Both Sides Of The Rivers, Bridges Becamethe Obvious Solution In Connecting A Village Together.Communities Need To Be Connected And Bridges Became Anintegral Part Of Village Life. It Provided Access Fortownspeople To Many Infrastructures Like Schools,churches And Stores Where Supplies Can Be Bought.Why The Need To Cover Them?There Are Many Theories On Why These Old, Vintagebridges Were Covered. The Most Obvious Is Forprotection. According To Town Records, Covered Bridgeslasted Three Times Longer Than Ordinary Bridgesbecause It Is More Protected Against The Elements.Also People Have Known That Covered Bridges Needlesser Maintenance Compared To Bridges That Dont Haveany Protection. But For Many, The Reason For Coveringbridges Is A More Aesthetic One. Covered Bridges Havegained Popularity Because Of Its Ability To Please Theeye. Many Towns Are Even Remembered Because Of Thebeautiful Covered Bridges That Can Still Be Seen Andenjoyed By Tourists. Though Nobody Knows For Sure,these Two Reasons Are The Most Apparent.The State Of Iowa Is Where The Most Famous Coveredbridges In America Can Be Found - Specifically InMadison County, Where According To Records, Nineteenbridges Used To Exist. Now Only Six Survived And Arenow Considered To Be Landmarks With Government Budgetfor Maintenance.Covered Bridges Are Part Of Americas History And Nowrestoration Projects Are Being Proposed All Over Thecountry To Preserve These Engineering Wonders That Hasdefined The Towns Where They Can Be Found. If You Goon A Road Trip To The Inner States, Be Sure To Take Apicture Of Some Of These Bridges - They Are Truly Asimportant As Many Historical Landmarks Are.
