Grey Highlands Public Library Digital Collections

Stone Cradle Bridge at White Farm

Description

Comments (1)

Media Type

Image

Text

Item Type

Photographs

Description

One of the last surviving ‘Stone Crib’ bridges in Grey County pictured in the 1970’s. It spanned the Saugeen river which runs through the property opposite the old railroad on the West Back Line of the previous Township of Artemesia. The farm belonged to the White family for two generations. Each spring the ancient stone structures supporting the bridge trembled when the ice ‘went out’ piling the ice floes against them. Eventually in the 1980’s when the farm changed hands the old bridge was demolished & replaced by a ‘Bailey’ type bridge, capable of carrying heavy farm machinery & with no midriver supports to hinder the free flow of ice each spring.

Notes

See p.92-93 of Split Rail Country Vol. II for more information

Inscriptions

[From reverse of photo] The old ‘cradle’ bridge across the Saugeen leading into White’s farm. Rocks cradled by tree logs from the supports for the bridge planks. Ice dams would form here in the spring break up & threaten to push the bridge out. A few years after this [picture] was taken Smyth bought the farm & a ‘bailey’ type bridge was put across the river in place of the old bridge. [Pesry?] negotiated for this with the Artemesia Township in exchange for a strip of land for straightening road.

Date of Original

c.1970

Date Of Event

c.1970

Subject(s)