James Covered Bridge

James Covered Bridge is a covered Howe truss bridge over Graham Creek in Jennings County, Indiana. It is named for Thomas S. James who owned the adjacent property and mill. ^{1 3} The bridge is also commonly referred to as the Kissing Bridge, as the names of several of James’ children and those that they courted are scribed on the wood inside the truss. ³

County commissioners John F. Hayden, Eli Wells, and James McManaman requested that a bridge be built at James Ford in Lovett Township on March 26, 1887. ³ Shortly after, Robert Carson filed suit to have the crossing built instead at Carson Ford, a mile upstream, but the lawsuit had been filed too late and was dismissed.

The James Ford bridge was proposed to be 130 feet long with a main span of 122 feet, and that it be a covered Howe truss with wrought iron tie rods and cast iron angle blocks. ³ Work on the bridge began by the Barron & Hole Company shortly after the lawsuit was dismissed with the laying of the one-foot-thick native limestone abutments, followed by the erection of the superstructure with wood furnished by the local James Saw Mill. Construction took five to six weeks to complete.

It was proposed to rehabilitate the James Covered Bridge in 2008 at the cost of $403,200. ²