April 29, 2024
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New book features photos of Bureau County’s Red Covered Bridge

Images from 20 photographers highlight history of local landmark

By Shaw Local News Network
Freezing fog begins to lift at the Red Covered Bridge in Princeton on Wednesday Feb. 3, 2021.

While rural Princeton’s Red Covered Bridge is closed to sightseers, the Bureau County Historical Society and Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce have collaborated to offer an alternative glimpse of the historic structure. (Scott Anderson)

While rural Princeton’s Red Covered Bridge is closed to sightseers, the Bureau County Historical Society and Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce have collaborated to offer an alternative glimpse of the historic structure.

In late January, the organizations kicked off sales of “A Bridge for the Ages,” a book featuring photos of the Bureau County landmark.

The bridge was damaged Nov. 16 when the driver of a semitrailer truck tried to pass through it. The truck did not meet clearance requirements and struck overhead framing, damaging the 149-foot bridge and the semi.

The next day, the historical society asked the community to share photos and memories of the Red Covered Bridge. By Nov. 21, the organization shared on social media it had received more than 20 personal stories and 37 photos.

By December, more than 200 submissions poured in, according a Facebook post by the Bureau County Historical Society.

The book features images from 20 photographers, including Terry Donnelly, Mike Vaughn, Vonette Allen Miller, Becky Kramer, Cheri Long, Bruce Pearce, Shannon Sapp-Killion, Lynn Crafts, Bradley Anderson, Jim Muehlschlegel, Rachel Gorenz-Johnson, Karen Schwind-Henrikson, Elizabeth Johnson, Kevin Barnet, Annette Chamberlain, Chelsea Sanchez, Dennis Heuer, Jan Kirkpatrick-Berlin, Barbara Navarre-Jarka and Andrew Rapp.

Books are available to order online at bureauhistory.org/red-covered-bridge. Buyers also can visit the Bureau County History Center office at 634 S. Pleasant St., Princeton, from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, or the Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce, 435 S. Main St., Princeton, during regular business hours. The chamber also is selling 2024 calendars featuring the Red Covered Bridge.