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Waldo or Riddle Mill, Talladega County

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Inventory Number: AL/01-61-02
County: Talladega County
Township: Waldo
Town/Village: Riddle Mill
Bridge Name: Waldo or Riddle Mill
Crosses: Talladega Creek
Truss type: Howe & Queen
Spans: 1
Length: 115' covered, 220' overall
Roadway Width: 10.0'
Built: c1858
Builder:
When Lost: standing
Cause:
Latitude:
Longitude:
Directions: Directions to this bridge have been removed at the request of the property owner.

Waldo or Riddle Mill Bridge, Waldo, Talladega County, AL Built c1858
Elna Johnson Collection

Waldo or Riddle Mill Bridge, Waldo, Talladega County, AL Built c1858
Bill Caswell Photo, July 16, 2009

Waldo or Riddle Mill Bridge, Waldo, Talladega County, AL Built c1858
Richard E. Roy Collection

Waldo or Riddle Mill Bridge, Waldo, Talladega County, AL Built c1858
Bill Caswell Photo, October 23, 2013

Waldo or Riddle Mill Bridge, Waldo, Talladega County, AL Built c1858
Jeanne Hickam Photo, NSPCB Archives

Waldo or Riddle Mill Bridge, Waldo, Talladega County, AL Built c1858
Todd Clark Collection

Comments:
Closed, private property. According to the 1936 Alabama DOT inventory, this bridge has a 100' covered span and originally had eight uncovered spans of 15' each. The bridge is currently eligible for addition to the National Register of Historic Places. It is the second oldest surviving covered bridge in the state, although it is also the only one not being maintained. It was built on an old Socopatoy Indian trail behind Riddle's Mill, a grist mill which was later converted into the Waldo Town Hall and then a restaurant. Nearby is the Riddle's Hole gold mine, which operated from 1840 through World War II. The bridge was used as an access route by Wilson's Raiders during the American Civil War, a cavalry group led by Union Army General James H. Wilson, in April 1865. Per Our Mountain Home (Talladega, Alabama), November 14, 1883, "The covered bridge over Choccolocco on the Eastaboga road and the bridge at Riddle's Mills have been taken in hand for thorough repairs by our County Commissioners, and work will commence at as early a day as possible." The bridge was open to traffic in later years, possibly for mine access during its operation, but condemned by the state in the 1960s and the approaches removed. Even though there was extensive restoration work done to establish a recreational park, the project was soon scrapped. As a result, the structure was left to sit on its two stone piers "as is." Note that this bridge stands on private property. Please respect the owners privacy by not trespassing to visit the site.

Sources:
Our Mountain Home (Talladega, Alabama), November 14, 1883, p.3.
List of Alabama Covered Bridges compiled in July 1953 by Richard Sanders Allen, NSPCB Archives
National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. World Guide to Covered Bridges, 2021, page 2

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