Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Most Iowa bridges built in the 1880s to accommodate increasing pedestrian, vehicular and livestock traffic were made of wood, an abundant and inexpensive building material. In an age before treated lumber, wood exposed to the elements only lasted about 10 years. Many Iowa wooden bridges were covered by planks and boards to protect the large, expensive flooring and inner timbers from weathering. It was more cost effective to roof and cover the sides of the bridges than to replace the floors and trusses.
Of the original 19 covered bridges built in Madison County, six are still standing, with five listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The bridges were ordered covered by the county Board of Supervisors to extend their lifespans. Since 1970, the historic covered bridges are celebrated by the Covered Bridge Festival, held during the second weekend of October. The 1870 Imes Covered Bridge of St. Charles and the 1870 Cutler-Donahoe Bridge in Winterset's city park are the oldest in Madison County. The 97-foot-long 1884 Hogback Covered Bridge is located in a valley north of Winterset. At 122 feet, the 1880 Holliwell Covered Bridge, southeast of Winterset, is the longest in the county.
The 76-foot long Cedar Covered Bridge was constructed in in 1883 by Benton James across Cedar Creek near Winterset, Iowa. Also known as Casper Bridge, it was moved 1.3 miles east by steam tractors in 1921. The Cedar Covered Bridge is the only one in Madison County still open to vehicular traffic, with a weight restriction of 4 tons. The Cedar is featured in the 1992 Robert James Waller novel "The Bridges of Madison County" and is pictured on the cover of the book. In 1993, Oprah Winfrey broadcast a live show from the bridge. The Cedar Covered Bridge was destroyed by an arsonist's fire in 2002 and a replica was built in 2004 using the original blueprints and similar construction methods and materials.
The Roseman Covered Bridge, near Winterset, Iowa, was immortalized by the 1995 Clint Eastwood movie "Bridges of Madison County." Though other bridges appear in the movie, the Roseman is most commonly associated the film and book. The bridge was altered to appear more aged by the movie crew, then put back in its restored condition after shooting the film. The 107-foot-long lattice truss bridge was built in 1883 by Benton Jones and extensively renovated in 1992. According to a local legend from 1892, the bridge may be haunted by an escaped convict's ghost.
There are 20 large covered bridges in the state of Iowa, with numerous smaller covered foot bridges. Madison County has six covered bridges, Marion County has three, Van Buren County has two, and Bremer, Calhoun, Cerro Gordo, Clayton, Bracken, Keokuk, Obrien, Polk and Wapello counties have one each.