Thorpe Ford
Bridge
Built in 1912 by Joseph A.
Britton
Location: Located 1 mile northwest of Rosedale on
Rosedale Rockville Road.
Size: The length of this bridge is 163' +9' +9'. The
width is 16' with 13' of clearance. It has a double Burr Arch 1
span truss. The foundation is concrete.
Repair/Restoration History: Condemned 1960. Bypassed
1961.
Bridge History: The area of nearby Rosedale was first
settled by John M. Doty in 1811 on an 160 acre land grant. During
the War of 1812 and the Tecumseh Indian Expedition he served in
Ohio, Ft.. Harrison, and Vincennes, returning in 1814. From his
first two story log house he expanded his farm to 1280 acres. The
town was called Dotyville until after John Doty’s death. Chauncey
Rose paid for the cost of incorporation in exchange for changing
the name to Rosedale. Rosedale was not thought of as a significant
town until 1860 when the E&C Railroad was built. Later, coal
mines opened and a second railroad was built through town. Willis
Beauchamp was the first merchant.
Other communities in the area included Daisyville, east of the
B&O Railroad, and Blocks, a Martin Coal Company owned town,
west of the Vandalia Railroad.
The Thorpe Ford Bridge was named for the earlier ford and the
Thorpe family. In 1920, Mrs. Sarah E. Thorpe owned 92 acres next to
the bridge. In 1948, her son Dan Thorpe lived near the bridge.
Early Parke County road maps show that the Thorpe Ford area is a
location where the Big Raccoon Creek bed is still in motion. They
show two crossings, two roads, and a road intersection about where
the bridge is now. The creek bed has moved as much as 1/4 mile from
the west during the last 100 years. Previously, the present road
continued north to connect to the Greencastle Road which also
crossed Big Raccoon before continuing to Coxville. The intersecting
road, now gone, continued up the steep hill as a straight line
extension of the Snow Road. Thorpe Ford was probably the north
creek crossing rather than the south crossing now near the creek
bend and intersection with the Rosedale drainage ditch.
The building of the bridge is attributed to County Commissioner
J.M. May. Soon after his election he attempted to travel from
Rosedale to Rockville. Rather than traveling thru Coxville he
obtained directions for a shorter route. After following the
convoluted directions and periods of being lost, he promised a new
bridge would be built.
After the construction of the Thorpe Ford Bridge in 1912, it was
located on the major route from Terre Haute to Crawfordsville, It
was called the Ben Hur highway. General Lew Wallace was a famous
Crawfordsville resident and the author of the novel Ben Hur.
Through the years, many have remarked on the modern day "chariot
races" being conducted along this road. Many elephants and other
circus animals crossed here on the way to winter camp at Peru,
Indiana.
Some residents remember this road as little more than a dirt
path. The WPA constructed a concrete pavement in the 1930’s. Most
traffic was diverted to Highway 41 after its construction in the
1920’s. Heavy agricultural traffic continued on the road. When the
bridge was condemned and bypassed, it was due to the continued
heavy loads using the route and the availability of federal funds
to maintain roads meeting upgraded standards.
An incident occurred on a December Sunday night in 1960 which
demonstrated the remaining strength of the bridge. This was the
same night the Dooley Station Bridge was burned. It was believed
that the same perpetrators were involved.
Construction of the bypass concrete bridge was in full progress.
During this night all of the heavy equipment at the site was parked
on the bridge in an attempt to overload and break it down. The
bridge showed no apparent damage.
Match safe was lost in the high water. Changed to a Lock &
Lock container and located it a little higher. Hopefully this one
will survive the next flood. Please hide it as well or better than
you found it. There is a Sacagawea dollar, McDonalds coupon, or a
watch coupon for the first to find (your choice) in the cache for
the first one to find.