Bowsher Ford
Bridge
Built in 1915 by Eugene
Britton; Elmer Garrard Contractor
Location: Located 2 miles northwest of Tangier
Size: 72' long +10' +10'. 16' wide and has 13'6" of
clearance. It has a Burr Arch 1 Span truss. The foundation is
concrete.
Bridge History: Elmer Garrard was awarded the contract to
construct the Bowsher Ford Bridge. Apparently he needed the
expertise of the Britton family to complete the job. Eugene
Britton, Joseph A. Button’s son, was hired and is credited as
builder. Joseph A. Britton, Lawrence Britton, and family were
constructing the Jeffries Ford Covered Bridge, across Big Raccoon
Creek; Rolling Stone Covered Bridge in Putnam County across Big
Walnut Creek; and Sharpe Covered Bridge also in Putnam County
across Mill Creek, the same year.
Elmer Garrard submitted a bid for the Nevins Covered Bridge in
1920, competing with the Britton family.
The bridge was named for the ford at that site. The ford was
named for the Bowsher family who owned the land around the ford.
The bridge has a wood shingle roof. A full scale covered bridge
replica is being used as a farm shed 1/4 mile southwest of the
Bowsher Ford Bridge.
The Bowsher Ford Covered Bridge is the same approximate size and
configuration as the Big Rocky Fork Bridge, built by Joseph J.
Daniels in 1900. In contrast, the Big Rocky Fork Bridge has a stone
abutment and a "J. J. Daniels arched portal."
The cache is a 50 caliber ammo box. Please hide it as well or
better than you found it. There is a Sacagawea dollar in the cache
for the first one to find.