On October 18, 2008, I explored Indiana State Road 42 from end to end. It begins southwest of Indianapolis in Mooresville and ends in Terre Haute.

As I drove west from Eminence, the road became lined with trees as it approaches Mill Creek. This photo is eastbound.

Eastbound

In 1939, the state built a steel truss bridge over Mill Creek. A similar bridge up the road made the National Register of Historic Places in 2000, but this one has not. I hope somebody in Putnam County picks up the mantle!

Steel truss bridge, Mill Creek

I thought it was standard that these bridges be painted green, but word has apparently not reached Putnam County. (This bridge completed a renovation in 2015, at which time it was painted baby blue, the new standard color for Indiana highway truss bridges.)

Steel truss bridge, Mill Creek

The view of Mill Creek is lovely. I took this photo off the south side of the bridge. But wait – what’s that in the photo’s lower left?

Steel truss bridge, Mill Creek

See it there? That neat row of cut stones?

Steel truss bridge, Mill Creek

Please consider the following:

©2008 Google Maps

Just beyond the bridge is a road that pulls away and then turns to be right in line with current SR 42 after it completes the curve west of the bridge. This fairly screams “old alignment.” Notice how the suspected old alignment, if extended southeast, would cross Mill Creek directly, instead of at a bit of an angle as it does today. In the olden days bridgebuilders’ bags of tricks were fairly limited, leading them to build bridges straight across creeks and rivers. That row of stones has to be part of an older bridge’s foundation, and the stones around it probably bits of the demolished former abutment here.

Incredibly, here’s a small photograph of the previous bridge alongside the newer one, taken at about the time the newer one was built. It was a wooden covered bridge! This would have to be an eastbound photo from the west end of these two bridges.

Courtesy bridgehunter.com

In the excitement over all this, I forgot to drive the suspected old alignment. I did, however, think to take a shot of some of the fall color just west of the bridge.

Fall on SR 42

State Road 42 skirted Cloverdale on its south edge and then the terrain became more challenging. The road stopped the 90-degree-curve nonsense and began to curve around the terrain. At Doe Creek, a narrow concrete bridge awaited.

Old concrete bridge

My experience is that bridges only as wide as the road, with concrete railings like this, were built in the 1910s and 1920s. I could see a clear path down the bank, so I walked down to see what the old girl looked like in profile. Sadly, she was a bit ungainly.

Old concrete bridge

Shortly I came upon Cagles Mill Lake, also known as Cataract Lake, one of many lakes the US Army Corps of Engineers built to control flooding. Here, SR 42 makes a brief dip into Owen County.

©2008, Google Maps

The bridge over the lake did not disappoint.

Bridge over Cagle Mill Lake

As I approached the bridge, there was a traffic signal flashing yellow, and cones everywhere. Clearly, this bridge had just been renovated, and the finishing touches were still being put on. It was built in 1951, when the lake was created.

Bridge over Cagles Mill Lake

I’m not sure how such a minor road warrants such a major bridge, but this one is a real gem.

Bridge over Cagles Mill Lake

I passed through the remainder of the lush lake area and into Clay County. I zipped through the little town of Poland without even slowing down because I knew another steel truss bridge awaited on the other side – but it turns out I missed an old church on the National Register of Historic Places in so doing. I guess my consolation is that the steel truss bridge over the Eel River is on the Register, too.

Steel truss bridge near Poland, IN

Have I mentioned how much I enjoy steel truss bridges? (This bridge, too, has received a coat of baby blue paint since I photographed it.)

Steel truss bridge near Poland, IN

A sure sign of autumn is how low the sun is at midafternoon.

Steel truss bridge near Poland, IN

Next: Vigo County and Terre Haute.

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Comments

13 responses to “Beautiful old bridges on Indiana State Road 42”

  1. Greg Clawson Avatar
    Greg Clawson

    I also appreciate the engineering that goes into bridge building. The Cagles Mill Lake bridge is beautiful as well as functional. Nice photos Jim!

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      The Cagles Mill bridge is just a stunner!

      1. Rick Cottrell Avatar
        Rick Cottrell

        Google Maps gives some good clues as to the previous alignment (pre-lake). Look for “Boat Ramp Road” on the west side. The old alignment out of Cunot on the east side of the lake just jumps right out at you! Time for a road trip…

        Thanks for the excellent blog, Jim!

        1. Jim Grey Avatar

          Indeed. I gather that the original alignment crossed the former creek here over a covered bridge.

  2. brandib1977 Avatar

    I needed a little road trip this morning! Thanks for the journey!

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      My pleasure!

  3. matt Avatar
    matt

    Those steel-truss bridges are great; they just smack of ‘nostalgia’ or ‘old-timiness’.

    Nice series of photos, especially the wooden covered bridge. Nice find.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      I got the covered bridge pic from Bridgehunter.com – amazing stuff shows up there.

  4. Nancy Stewart Avatar
    Nancy Stewart

    I enjoyed your trip … especially the old photo of the covered bridge beside the new one … the ending of one era and the beginning of another … would loved to have seen it before it was gone.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      I would love to have seen Indiana 80-100 years ago! So much has changed.

  5. Steve Mitchell Avatar

    Some wonderful old bridges and lovely images here Jim :)

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Thanks Steve! You never know what you’ll find on a back highway.

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