Covered bridge crosses the centuries
Spencerville's historic span has withstood weather and time

By AMY REKEWEG

SPENCERVILLE - Wayne Shook looked perplexed when asked to recount his days living next to DeKalb County's oldest landmark.

"There isn't much to tell about an old covered bridge," he huffed, a furrow in his brow and a pout on his lip.
An hour of storytelling later, he'd eat those words.

* * *

The past comes remarkably closer when Shook begins talking about it.

About 60 years ago, he spent long hours dangling a fishing line downstream from the Spencerville Covered Bridge.

"We'd use a long pole with a special hook on it and try to snare 'em. We never had much luck but it was a lot of fun.

"You could stand up there on the bridge and see fish swimming up and down the stream. You can't see fish from there anymore; the water's so murky," he said.

On muggy afternoons when the trout weren't biting, Shook and his pals shed their shoes, socks and shirts for cool dips in the St. Joseph River. "That's where I learned to swim, just downstream from the bridge," he said with a grin.

The real fun began when the sinking sun cast long shadows of the bridge to the banks.

"We use to play this game all the time called 'Ship, Ship Shililoh'," Shook said, a tinge of excitement in his voice. "We'd have two teams - one team was supposed to hide and the other team was supposed to find you. The bridge was a favorite place to hide, of course. We'd yell up against the building to deflect our voices to try to throw off the other team. Oh, we had a heck of a time."

The bridge also served as cover from downpours, Shook remembers. Farmers would hustle their trailers beneath the shelter to keep their loads of hay and crops dry, he said.

In the past, the bridge was used as an advertising center. Area merchants frequently painted their own signs on the beams and guard rails, some of which can still be seen today.

Shook denies ever taking a brush to the bridge as a boy. Even if he had, proof of it would be covered by more recent paint strokes. Also scarring the bridge's wooden structure are carvings of initials from courting couples and others hoping to endure the ages.

"Some of the dates carved in there go way back. Each carving has its own history, and it's fascinating to look at them all," Shook said.

* * *

Shook hasn't wandered far from the bridge since his childhood. In fact, he is its closest neighbor today.

"It sure doesn't bother me much. It's kept pretty quiet," he joked.

A long, winding driveway separates Shook's home from the old bridge on County Road 68, at the southeast corner of Spencercille. It's not uncommon to find photographers from around the country at the foot of his drive, focusing their lenses at the landmark, Shook said.

"It's always attracted a lot of attention. I can tell you this - there's probably more people who would take a picture of the covered bridge than would take a picture of the courthouse in Auburn.

"I think it's because there are so few of them left," he reasoned. "They remind people of the past."

* * *

The Spencerville Covered Bridge was built in 1873, but another bridge preceded it at the same location. What happened to the first bridge is not known, but the Spencerville Bridge was built as a replacement for it.

The construction contract was awarded to John A. McKay, a builder and carpenter known throughout the area. Ten years prior, in 1863, McKay helped build the second DeKalb County Courthouse. In 1868, McKay and Alpheus Wheelock built the Dills Covered Bridge two miles upstream from the Spencerville Bridge. McKay also built numerous roads, barns and other buildings throughout DeKalb County.

According to the contract specifications set by county commissioners, the Spencerville Covered Bridge was to be completed by the first day of November 1873. McKay finished the 146-foot long, 12-foot wide structure in March 1874 at a cost of $4,458.

McKay made the bridge of Michigan White Pine, a wood touted by carpenters for its resistance to weather and insects. He used the Smith Truss, Variant Four design as his building plan. The design consists of diagonal bracing on the floor and roof to lessen side swaying and sagging. Vertical steel posts were installed for additional reinforcement.

Though more expensive to build, covered bridges are far superior in longevity and utility than either open wooden or steel bridges. One reason the Spencerville Bridge is so durable is that it is covered. The beams on the sides and top of covered bridges are essential for strength and rigidity. In addition, the sides and roof protect from weather, limiting moisture that could rot the wood and preventing extreme dryness that could cause boards to loosen and sag. The open area near the roof allows for air circulation through the bridge and lets in needed light.

Though an example of pioneer ingenuity and craftsmanship, the Spencerville Covered Bridge wasn't designed to live forever. Maintenance and repair have healed many of its wounds.

* * *

DeKalb County's 126-year-old landmark has been a bridge over troubled water several times.

During the winter of 1884, ice and water were level with the floor, weakening the long grade on the west end. Local residents piled into boats and stuffed straw into the cracks to prevent the grade from collapsing. Floods also created threatening conditions in 1898, 1910, 1913, 1937 and 1982, but the bridge stood sturdy.

Major repairs have been made to the bridge on several occasions.

In 1916 the wooden piers on the west abutment were replaced with concrete piers. In 1920 a concrete approach and additional waterway on the west end were installed. The original wooden piers on the east end also were replaced with concrete piers in 1922. Major work was done in 1954 when the DeKalb County Commissioners spent $3,100 to replace the sills and flooring. In 1970, a new roof of cedar shingles was installed.

The bridge was completely restored in 1983 at a cost of $174,000. The project included repairs to the center pier and east end wall. Carpenters also rebuilt the bridge floor, making it safe for fire trucks, school buses and lighter trucks. Before those repairs, the bridge was restricted to passenger cars and some area residents had proposed replacing it with a modern span. County Commissioners instead chose to strengthen the wood structure.

In 1991, a new cedar shingle roof was installed at a cost of $24,450.

To protect the bridge from damage caused by heavy trucks, commissioners in 1994 reduced the weight limit on the structure from 10 tons to 4 tons.

About $3,000 in repairs were made in November 1995 after an oversized truck attempted to cross the bridge, ripping off its carved sign and smashing cross beams and boards.

Presently, plans call for building a new reliever bridge and about a mile of additional roadway just south of the covered bridge, in order to protect it from deterioration caused by heavy traffic. The old, wooden bridge would continue in use after the new bridge opens.

* * *

A good neighbor in the truest sense, Wayne Shook keeps a watchful eye on his age-old friend, day after day.

He is quick to alert county officials of any frailty in its timber. He shakes his fist at vandals and speeding drivers who mar its beauty and challenge its foundation.

"The Spencerville Covered Bridge is a gift," he said. "People need to be more careful around it."

After all, there is a legacy to continue far into the next millennium.