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Thompson Mill, Shelby County

If you find errors in the data please contact Bill Caswell.

If you would like to provide information on covered bridges that no longer exist from your state, or adopt a state to work on, we would certainly welcome your assistance. Please contact Trish Kane for more information.

Inventory Number: IL/13-87-01
County: Shelby County
Township:
Town/Village: Dry Point
Bridge Name: Thompson Mill
Crosses: Kaskaskia River
Truss type: Howe
Spans: 1
Length: 105'
Roadway Width:
Built: 1868
Builder:
When Lost: standing
Cause:
Latitude: N39 15.519
Longitude: W088 49.088
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: 2.4 miles east of IL128 (N. Grand St.) and Cowden on CR11 (E. Locust St.), then 1.0 miles left on 1725E (becomes 1740E), then 0.1 miles left on 1790E, bridge will be on the left. East-northeast of Cowden.

Thompson Mill Bridge, Dry Point, Shelby County, IL Built 1868
Trish Kane/Richard Donovan Collection

Thompson Mill Bridge, Dry Point, Shelby County, IL Built 1868
A.G. Kistler Photo, May 1940

Thompson Mill Bridge, Dry Point, Shelby County, IL Built 1868
Doug Wantz Photo (June 2005)

Thompson Mill Bridge, Dry Point, Shelby County, IL Built 1868
Bill Caswell Photo, September 2, 2018

Comments:
Closed. The Thompson Mill Bridge was constructed in 1868. It was built in Michigan, shipped to Shelbyville, and hauled to the river crossing by horse-drawn wagons. The road the bridge carried was an important transportation corridor connecting Springfield, Taylorville, and Effingham. The bridge also provided area residents access to the Thompson Mill, a corn mill and sawmill which operated from 1843 to 1914. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 13, 1975. It is now one of only five historic covered bridges remaining in Illinois. The bridge has been closed to automobile traffic but remains open to pedestrians. 12-panel truss.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thompson_Mill_Covered_Bridge
National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. World Guide to Covered Bridges, 2021, page 13

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