Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1938-09-22
MITCHELL BRIDGE
AT WATERFORD

Most interested spectator of prog
ress on bridge being built in the
northern Washington county COM
munity, over Wolf creek a half
mile above where that stream emp
ties into the Muskingum river, is
Ray Mitchell, Beverly nurseryman,
and as every piece of steel goes into
place Mr.. Mitchell gives a sigh of re-
lief
The reason for his attitude is that
when WPA workers have completed
the bridge, which connects with a
road newly built by WPA, it will re-
tire from service 250~foot swing
ing bridge which Mr.. Mitchell be-
lieves he owns. At any rate, for 25
years he has worried a little as to
whether the swinging bridge was
safe, and every time it was repaired
he has footed the bill for materials
A few times he has borne the entire
cost Of repairs.
The suspension structure starts
inauspiciously in the back yard of
property owned by Joe Campbell, Of
Waterford, bangles between trees,
over water, rocks and underbrush,
and after traversing jittery heights
comes to solid earth again at the ap-
proach in a cOrnfeld on Ray Mitch
ellis farm which he bought 25 years
ago. From it a path leads to the
new road and before that road was
built the path snaked steeply up
hill to connect with a former rutty
road.
For more than 80 years the swing
ing bridge has been the sole direct
means of getting into Waterford and
neighboring Beverly for residents of
large section of farming territory
southwest of Waterford In the
1913 flood it was one of the means
of escape for those folks who linger-
ed too long in their homes.
Between a dozen and 25 children
| have used the suspension structure
through the years to get to schools
in Waterford and Beverly For that
reason, school boards of the two
/ towns have for years furnished the
labor to repair the bridge, while Mr.
| Mitchell, remembering that it prob.
| ably belongs to him and that if it
| broke he might be responsible, glad
| ly provided materials for the repairs.
! The bridge sagged badly when WPA
LlCH CIOOpCO dClOoo IL lulS year u
| complete the connecting piece of
road.
"We'll all be glad when that new
bridge is completed says Mr.. Mitch
ell. PERSONALLY, I've lost hundreds
| Of dollars in crops because couldn' t
| haul 'em to market in flood time.
| When the river and creeks come up,
folks in that section are cut off, al
though they live high and dry.
"The lower road into Waterford,
leading from Swifts, is covered every
| time the Muskingum rises. State
route rs, to the south from Water
ford and Beverly, is impossible ev-
cry time Muddy Fork branch of Wolf
creek rises"
| With completion of the bridge, it
is anticipated that one mail route
and probably two school buses will
use it and the new road immediate
ly. And residents of both Water
ford and Beverly will be comforted
by the thought that new outlet in
time Of food is available.
! The bridge, all steel with concrete
! foundations, is one unit on the big
| Washington county blanket road re-
construction program, planned by
county commissioners and county en-
gineer and being carried out by
WPA workers and engineers. It will
be known on the records as the
ssMitchell'' bridge, but Ray Mitchell
won't have to worry about 1t.