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Blenheim Covered Bridge
The Old Blenheim Bridge is located in the Town of Blenheim on State Route 30 in North Blenheim, Schoharie County, New York. It spans the Schoharie Creek and is "double-barreled" or has two separate lanes. At 232 feet in length between the stone abutments, this bridge has the unique distinction of being "the longest covered single span wooden bridge in the world" and one of only six remaining bridges in the world with two separated lanes. It is constructed of Long truss with a center arch. The bridge was built in 1854-5 by Nicholas M. Powers under contract for the Blenheim Bridge Company (inc. 1828) as a toll bridge and retired from use in 1931, and was listed as a National Historic Landmark on January 29, 1964; placed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966; and is now a National Historic Engineering Landmark, 1984.
It's interesting to note that the bridge was not originally built in place over the Schoharie Creek as most folks would imagine, but rather was assembled at a site nearby, to insure the pieces all fit together correctly. Afterwards it was disassembled and erected in its present location across the creek. Ninety-four thousand board feet (127 tons) of lumber, 3,600 pounds of bolts and 1,500 pounds of washers were used in its construction. Nicholas Powers was paid $7.00 a day ($2,000 total) and the workmen received $1.00 a day. When the bridge was completed in 1855 it cost $6,000. During construction scoffers said that the bridge would fall due to its own weight with the removal of the falsework (falsework being the temporary scaffolding, also called "bents", made of heavy logs, which were used to support the bridge during construction). When the day came, Powers climbed to the roof and said, "If the bridge goes down, I never want to see the sun rise again!" People then said that the bridge would sag so much as to be useless. Powers replied that if this happened he would jump off. When the falsework was taken away the bridge settled only slightly, even less than Powers had calculated.
Local lore has it that while the stone abutments were being built one of the masons was sent to fetch a jug of rye whiskey. Before they got a chance to open the jug and imbibe the president of the bridge company, J. Dickinson, who was a "teetotaller" (it's an archaic term by today’s standard, a tetotallar being someone who practices and promotes the complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages) arrived unannounced to inspect the progress of the bridge. The masons were forced to hastily hide the jug in the first available spot which happened to be a niche in the abutment. As work proceeded at a quicker pace under the eagle eye of the company president, who wouldn't leave, the masons were forced to build up the stonework around the jug before it was rescued, and supposedly, it remains there to this day.
"The picturesque old bridge has had many adventures. It has been afire three times and is now insured like any ordinary house. Twice the roof caught fire from windblown sparks and embers from burning buildings in the village. And once, many years ago, when traveling tinkers went about mending pots and pans, carrying a small charcoal stove to heat their soldering irons, one of these tinkers went so sleep in the bridge and tipped his stove over. The hot coals ignited the wooden bridge but someone happened along in time to put the fire out and to sober up the "tinker" in the nearby river." – Schenectady Union-Star: Feb. 26, 1930
Old Covered Bridge - North Blenheim, NY
(Click Photo Above For More Images of Bridge)
Tags:
Blenheim
Bridge
Schoharie
Creek
Covered
Bridge
Historic
Marker
Added: 8th September 2007
Views: 227
Rating: 
Posted By: Ohlhous |
 
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This twenty minute documentary starts slowly, but dont give up on it: It finishes well! If you're in a hurry, fast forward to about the midpoint.
Tags:
watchmaking
hamilton
1947
Added: 13th September 2007
Views: 110
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Posted By: sdado4 |
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This early silent film short is remarkable partly because its an early time-lapse sequence. Produced by "The American Mutoscope and Biograph Company".
Tags:
star
theater
theatre
demolition
1901
Added: 14th September 2007
Views: 148
Rating: 
Posted By: prelingerfan |
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Did you know that the Allies had a top secret series of fuel lines that started in England and extended all the way to the front in France? The last segment of this newsreel is without audio.
Tags:
Hitler
Nazi
Goehring
art
fuel
undersea
top
secret
Added: 12th October 2007
Views: 131
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Posted By: prelingerfan |
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The inventor of the Pullman railroad car got his start in Western New York State moving barges that had become stranded in the Erie Canal.
Tags:
pullman
erie
canal
albion
ny
Added: 7th November 2007
Views: 90
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Posted By: Lowbridge |
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This is an episode in a series that views history through postage stamps. This story follows key events in aviation history, starting with the Wright Brothers and finishing with a thorough treatment the Charles Lindbergh flight from New York to Paris in 1927. Produced in 1953 and narrated by Robert Trout.
Tags:
stamps
aviation
wright
lindbergh
trout
1953
Added: 13th November 2007
Views: 205
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Posted By: prelingerfan |
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Produced by the American Can Company and narrated by Bernard Hubbard, aka the "Glacier Priest", this evaluation of William Sewards decision to by Alaska from Russia in 1859 starts slowly, but finishes well with good coverage of the salmon industry during the depression.
Tags:
alaska
silver
millions
salmon
glacier
priest
1936
Added: 28th November 2007
Views: 65
Rating:
Posted By: prelingerfan |
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Produced by the American Can Company and narrated by Bernard Hubbard, aka the "Glacier Priest", this evaluation of William Sewards decision to buy Alaska from Russia in 1859 starts slowly, but finishes well with good coverage of the salmon industry during the depression.
The two men in the thumbnail are William H. Seward and Bernard Hubbard (The Glacier Priest) respectively.
Tags:
alaska
silver
millions
salmon
glacier
priest
1936
Added: 28th November 2007
Views: 65
Rating:
Posted By: prelingerfan |
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Produced by Key Systems, this 20-minute film starts slowly; but includes some wonderful details of the 1906 earthquake and fire, and of the interurban trolley line under the Golden Gate Bridge.
Tags:
san
francisco
golden
gate
bridge
earthquake
1945
Added: 25th December 2007
Views: 267
Rating:
Posted By: prelingerfan |
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