Wrightsman Bridge

The Wrightsman Bridge is a closed through truss bridge over North Fork Salt Creek on Hickory Hill Road in Brown County, Indiana.

The Wrightsman Bridge is a closed through truss bridge spanning the North Fork of Salt Creek on Hickory Hill Road in Brown County, Indiana. Named after the Wrightsman family, who operated a mill nearby, it is also known as Brown County Bridge Number 36 and the Hickory Hill Road Bridge. ^{1 2}

History

Hickory Hill Road traces its origins to a Native American trail. ² In this area, the Ten O’Clock Treaty Line—established in the 1809 Treaty of Fort Wayne—marked the boundary of lands ceded by the Delaware, Potawatomi, and Miami tribes. Pioneers began settling nearby Schooner Valley in 1820, and many early settlers cleared farms and built homes along Hickory Hill Road following Brown County’s establishment in 1836.

Before the Wrightsman Bridge, a ford served as the primary crossing over Salt Creek. ² In 1908, the Pan-American Bridge Company of New Castle, Indiana, constructed a pinned Pratt through truss bridge to replace the ford. ^{1 2} This bridge connected Hickory Hill Road to Schooner Valley in the south and Duncan Road in the north, forming part of a key east-west route between Nashville and Bloomington.

The Pan-American Bridge Company, founded in 1902, specialized in constructing beams and trusses during the early 20th century, transitioning to other types of construction after 1913. ² The Wrightsman Bridge reflected the economic boom in Brown County driven by timbering and agriculture. However, the prosperity was short-lived due to poor soil conditions, and the county’s population declined significantly between 1880 and 1930. The opening of Indiana State Route 46 through Schooner Valley in 1920 further reduced traffic on Duncan Road. After 1935, many nearby farms and buildings were demolished as part of the federal Farm Resettlement Administration’s efforts, further diminishing the bridge’s importance.

The Wrightsman Bridge underwent repairs in 1979 and 1982. ² However, it was closed to vehicular traffic in November 1990 due to structural issues caused by earth compression, which disrupted the vertical alignment of the southern abutment. This misalignment placed the lower chord in compression rather than tension. The bridge reopened in October 1991 for non-vehicular use as part of the Ten O’Clock Treaty Line Trail, a horse and bicycle path connecting Yellowwood State Forest and Brown County State Park.

In 1991, Aecon Engineers completed a structural report for the county, estimating stabilization costs at $42,000. ² The Wrightsman Bridge was listed on the Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures in October 1993 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in December of the same year. ^{1 2}