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Shieldstown, Jackson County

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Inventory Number: IN/14-36-02
County: Jackson County
Township: Hamilton
Town/Village: Brownstown
Bridge Name: Shieldstown
Crosses: East Fork, White River (a.k.a. Driftwood Fork)
Truss type: Burr
Spans: 2
Length: 331' floor, 355' roofline
Roadway Width:
Built: 1876
Builder: Joseph J. Daniels
When Lost: standing
Cause:
Latitude: N38 54.914
Longitude: W086 00.156
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: 3.5 miles northeast of jct IN250 on US50, then 0.9 miles left on CR200N. Northeast of Brownstown.

Shieldstown Bridge, Brownstown, Jackson County, IN Built 1876
© Lisa Plamondon

Shieldstown Bridge, Brownstown, Jackson County, IN Built 1876
Dale J. Travis Photo

Shieldstown Bridge, Brownstown, Jackson County, IN Built 1876
George Aten Photo, Richard Donovan Collection

Shieldstown Bridge, Hamilton, Jackson County, IN Built 1876
Traugott Keller Photograph, April 24, 1954, NSPCB Archives

Shieldstown Bridge, Hamilton, Jackson County, IN Built 1876
Bill & Jenn Caswell Photo, September 27, 2015

Shieldstown Bridge, Hamilton, Jackson County, IN Built 1876
Greg McDuffee Photo, October 29, 2019

Comments:
The Shieldstown Covered Bridge crosses the East Fork of White River beside County Road 250 East, northeast of Brownstown, Jackson County. This double span Burr Arch Truss structure has a length of 331 feet, or 355 feet including the 12-foot overhang at each end, with a portal clearance 16 feet wide by 12 feet 6 inches high. Built in 1876 by Joseph J. Daniels, the road bypassed this structure after 1977. Per the Jackson County Banner (Brownstown), July 6, 1876, "A New Bridge. - The contract for a new bridge across White river at Shields' Mill was let on Friday last [30-Jun-1876] to J. J Daniels, of Rockville, at $13,500. The bridge will be a Howe Truss, similar to the one at Medora." Per the Jackson County Banner (Brownstown), November 23, 1876, "The New Bridge. - The bridge across White river at Shields received the finishing stroke last Friday [17-Nov-1876]. It is a magnificent structure, 345 feet in length. J. J. Daniels, the contractor, has done a faithful job. Now that there is a bridge at this point, a road should be opened down the river bottom to Marsh's ferry. Such a road would reduce the distance from Shields to Brownstown about one-third. Let a petition be started immediately. The mill firm up yonder are largely interested, and should lead the enterprise."

Sources:
Ketcham, Bryan E.. Covered Bridges on the Byways of Indiana, 1949, page 21
Jackson County Banner (Brownstown), July 6, 1876, p.5.
Jackson County Banner (Brownstown), November 23, 1876, p.5.
Gould, George E.. Indiana's Covered Bridges Thru the Years, 1977
Travis, Dale. 'Indiana Covered Bridges List', updated to 11 Feb 2005, http://www.dalejtravis.com/cblist/cbin.htm (8 Mar 2005)
National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. World Guide to Covered Bridges, 2021, page 19

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