Bigelow Bridge (regionally known as Axe Handle Road Bridge) is one of six historic

covered bridge A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered woo ...

s in

Union County, Ohio Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 62,784. Its county seat is Marysville. Its name is reflective of its origins, it being the union of portions of Franklin, Delaware, Mad ...

. It is located at ,Bridge Hunter - Axe Handle Road Bridge
/ref> on Axe Handle Road just north of

Ohio State Route 161 State Route 161 (SR 161) is an east–west state highway in central Ohio. Its western terminus is in Mutual at State Route 29 and its eastern terminus is near Alexandria at State Route 37. It is long. State Route 161 passes through Columbus, ...

between

Irwin Irwin may refer to: Places ;United States * Irwin, California * Irwin, Idaho * Irwin, Illinois * Irwin, Iowa * Irwin, Nebraska * Irwin, Ohio * Irwin, Pennsylvania * Irwin, South Carolina * Irwin County, Georgia * Irwin Township, Venango Co ...

and

Chuckery Chuckery is a small suburb of Walsall located a mile from the town centre. Name The name "Chuckery" is believed to originate from the common medieval word to describe a poultry farming area. Demographics Chuckery has a diverse ethnic mix, wit ...

, and crosses over the Little Darby Creek. The wooden

truss bridge A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements (typically straight) may be stressed from tension, compression, or ...

was built in 1873 by

Reuben Partridge Reuben L. Partridge (September 10, 1823 – July 17, 1900) was an American pioneer and engineer in Union County, Ohio, known locally as "The Bridge Builder". Early life Reuben Partridge was born September 10, 1823, in Wilmington, New York, to ...

, and named for Eliphas Bigelow, a nearby resident. It was refurbished including the addition of internal steel supports in 1990, and repainted in July 2008.Chris Alexis,
County road, bridge program to continue
'', ThisWeek Marysville, 14 June 2008. In November 2010, a

historical marker A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other ...

was dedicated on the site by the Ohio Historical Society, honoring Bigelow Bridge and the surrounding Darby Plains region.
Bigelow Bridge, Darby Plains marker dedicated
', ThisWeek Marysville, 31 October 2010.

References

External links

Bridges completed in 1873 Covered bridges in Ohio Buildings and structures in Union County, Ohio Wooden bridges in Ohio Transportation in Union County, Ohio Tourist attractions in Union County, Ohio Road bridges in Ohio {{Ohio-bridge-struct-stub