The 10 Cent Tour of Oldtown: Troll Bridge Traditional Cache
The 10 Cent Tour of Oldtown: Troll Bridge
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(micro)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
The Oldtown Low-Water Toll Bridge
The Oldtown Low-Water Toll Bridge was built in 1934 by a Mr. Carpenter. Impetus for building the bridge came when Mr. Carpenter realized that many of the workers on the B&O Railroad, across the Potomac River in West Virginia, needed a way to cross the river from their homes in Maryland. Mr. Carpenter petitioned both West Virginia and Maryland to build a bridge and both declined. When he asked if he could build it, they supposedly said go ahead (either that or he built the bridge anyway). The next closest bridges across the Potomac are either in Cumberland or Paw Paw. The Oldtown Low-Water Toll Bridge is only one of 17 privately owned toll bridges in the United States (so don't give Maryland heck for not having the money to build a nice bridge, its not their baby).
Since Mr. Carpenter built the bridge it has had two other owners and is now owned by Mr. John Teeter. Several hundred cars, mostly locals, cross the bridge daily. People who cross regularly usually pay a $14.00 monthly toll. For those of the rest of us, the toll is $0.50 per car/$2.00 if you are out for a joy ride in your 18 wheeler/free if you are on foot or bike, paid at the brick toll house on the Maryland side. The concrete pillions are the originals from 1934. The wood deck is replaced about every 5 years, and the pins that connect the wood through the metal ties and into the concrete cost $14.00 each (they are made of some special alloy). For a brief time the bridge was closed in 1995 because the State of Maryland deemed it structurally unsound. Since then, it has been repaired and is open for business. Being a low-water bridge you can guess that at times it is under water (see the accompanying picture). To check to see if the bridge is open, call 301-478-5500.
I called this cache the Troll Bridge because of a story from an acquaintance who used to live in Greenspring, WV, across the river from Oldtown. Apparently during one of his Jerkier moments (which from what I remember was just about all of the time), if no one was coming the other way, he would gun it, and just as he passed the toll house, he would fling a handful of change out the window and scream "here you go, Troll!!" Every time I cross the bridge I think of that jerk. Please don't follow his lead. The ladies who work at the toll house are very nice and more than willing to talk about the bridge.
Cache is not on the bridge but within sight. Coords +/- 10 ft. Tweezers may be necessary.
Congrats to KG8GN for FTF!!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gur anzr fnlf vg nyy.