CascAda History #15 - Ada Covered Bridge Traditional Cache
CascAda History #15 - Ada Covered Bridge
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CascAda History #15 - Ada Covered Bridge
The Cascade & Ada Township History Series
The Michigan State Legislature authorised Ada Township to borrow up to $3,000 for building or maintaining bridges in the area. Construction of this bridge, also known as the "Bradfield Bridge" was carried out in 1867 by William Holmes. The design for the trusses was patented by Josiah Brown of Buffalo, New York in 1857. A timber bearing his name was uncovered during repair work.
The bridge has been threatened by floods a number of times. It is said that farmers used to drive wagons loaded with stones onto the bridge during high water to hold it to the foundation. The bridge was closed to automobile traffic in 1930 and restored by the Kent County Road Commission in 1941.
When heavy snows collapsed the roof in 1979, the people of Ada mounted an all-out effort to raise funds to restore the bridge. Shortly after the repairs were finished, however, the bridge was completely destroyed by fire. The citizens again rallied, this time with the help of the Amway corporation, headquartered in Ada, and rebuilt it once again. The replica bridge, now resting on concrete abutments, is 14 feet wide and 125 feet long. The bridge is now open only to pedestrian traffic and connects the Village of Ada on one side of the Thornapple River with a park on the other side.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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