My grandmother lived a simple, yet remarkable life complete with great joys and tremendous sorrows. She never complained about the hand she was dealt. She almost lived to be 100. She felt every day she was given on earth was a gift. I was so very lucky to have the opportunity to listen to her recount what it was like growing up in the early 1900's - before electricity, before phones, before television, before radios, before cars... before so many things we now take for granted in our every day life. I recorded many of our conversations to share with my own grandchildren when they are old enough.
One of of my grandmother's recollections was about the retired racehorse her father bought to be the family's transportation to and from town when she was small. The horse, like many others, didn't care for bridges. Communities built covers for their bridges, protecting them from the elements which almost always included sides so the horses wouldn't be spooked going over them. For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by covered bridges... partially because of her stories or maybe a past life memory or some such.
Wood is abundant in the northwest so it was the primary building material in the area. The typical life cycle of a bridge could be extended at least three times longer than an uncovered bridge so at one time Oregon had over 400 covered bridges. Each one had their own personality representing the community that built it. As the years marched by time has taken its toll on these fascinating portals in time. Many fell prey to rising maintenance costs, new and improved highways and byways and the worst villain of all, human vandals. But there are many left to enjoy right here in our own backyard!
No comments:
Post a Comment