Jackson Covered Bridge
| Jackson Covered Bridge | |
| Rockport Bridge or Wright's Mill Bridge | |
| National Register of Historic Places | |
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| Official name: Jackson Covered Bridge | |
| Named for: Andrew Jackson | |
| Country |  United States |
|---|---|
| State |  Indiana |
| County | Parke |
| Township | Penn |
| Road | Bloomingdale Road (C.R.25) |
| City | Rockport |
| Crosses | Sugar Creek, Parke County, Indiana |
| Coordinates | 39°52′48.09″N 87°16′56.63″W / 39.8800250°N 87.2823972°WCoordinates: 39°52′48.09″N 87°16′56.63″W / 39.8800250°N 87.2823972°W |
| Length | 225 ft (69 m) 207ft +9ft overhangs on each end |
| Width | 16 ft (5 m) |
| Clearance | 18 ft (5 m) |
| Builder | Daniels, J.J. |
| Design | Double Burr Arch truss bridge |
| Material | Wood |
| Built | November 1861 |
| - Repaird | 1863, 1913, Restored 1977 $75,000 |
| Owned and Maintained by | Parke County |
| NBI Number | 6100148 |
| WGCB Number | #14-61-10 |
| Added to NRHP | Dec 22, 1978 |
| NRHP Ref# | 78000393 |
| MPS | Parke County Covered Bridges TR |
  Location of the Jackson Covered Bridge in Indiana
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 Location of Indiana in the United States
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The Jackson Covered Bridge also known as the Rockport Covered Bridge is located in the 'forgotten town' of Rockport, northwest of Bloomingdale Parke County, Indiana, USA.
It was built by Joseph J. Daniels in 1861, and is the oldest remaining bridge built by him. Crossing Sugar Creek, on county road 83 at the intersection with county roads 25 and 232, it is a single span Double Burr Arch Truss covered bridge structure built on a base of hewn stone.
Prior Wright had built his second mill in the area of 'Devil's Den' in 1848, after his mill located at The Narrows was washed away by a freshet on New Year's Day 1847. During this time, flat boats would be built and floated over the shallows of Sugar Creek during high waters for the trip to the markets in New Orleans. When the Wabash and Erie Canal came through more business originated from here.
Eventually the mill, a general store, cooper shop, blacksmith shop, two sawmills, and four dwelling houses would come to make up the town of Rockport. In addition, an iron smelter operated for a while using a poor grade of iron ore and the plentiful and high grade coke made from local coal.
By December 1860, the citizens of the area had decided to call on Dr. Hobbs to be their spokesman for a new bridge near Wright's Mill. Dr. Hobbs called upon the Parke County Commissioners to hold a special meeting and on the 28th they discuss the issue of "several citizens who had presented a petition for a bridge over Sugar Creek at Wright’s Upper Mills." John Scott, "presented on behalf of various citizens a petition and subscriptions for a bridge at Star Mills," at the same meeting.
Just four days later on New Year's Day 1861, the commissioners held another special meeting and approved both bridges to be built with $8,000 from the county, "...provided the citizens would make up enough subscriptions to make up the balance on the cost of these two bridges."
Within a week and a half, January 17, $3,307 and 300 signatures had been collected by the petition leaders Byers, Milligan, Graham, and Elwood Hadley. James Johnson and Henry Wolf were appointed to select sites for the bridges, establish specifications and provide estimates for the county commissioners.
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Wikipedia