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Boy Scout Camp, Oldham County

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

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Inventory Number: KY/17-93-01x
County: Oldham County
Township:
Town/Village:
Bridge Name: Boy Scout Camp
Crosses: Harrods Creek
Truss type: Burr
Spans: 1
Length: 80'
Roadway Width: 20'
Built: 1865
Builder:
When Lost: 28 Jul 1931
Cause: Burned
Latitude: N38 21.669
Longitude: W085 34.485
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: Abandoned alignment KY 329.

Boy Scout Camp Bridge, Oldham County, KY
Bill Caswell Collection, copy of photo in Oscar Lane Collection

Comments:
Vertical siding. The State Journal (Frankfort, Kentucky) of Wednesday, July 29, 1931, noted that the bridge was built in 1865 at a cost of $5,000. Per The Kentucky Post (Covington), July 29, 1931, "FIRE DESTROYS COVERED SPAN - Bridge Across Harrod's Creek Consumed by Flames - LOUISVILLE, KY., July 29.---Another page was added to Kentucky history yesterday---one of the few covered bridges of a century ago passing from existence. The covered span across Harrods Creek at the Louisville Boy Scouts' camp, 14 miles from here, was destroyed by fire. Carle Handel, camp director, led 97 scouts in an effort to save the bridge by a bucket brigade. They were unsuccessful in curbing the flames. Smoke emanating from each end of the structure attracted the Boy Scouts' attention while they were swimming a short distance away. Summoned from the water, the boys were equipped with buckets containing chemical solutions to fight the blaze. Dry timbers of the structure, built more than a century ago, were consumed rapidly by the flames. The boys toted water when the chemicals were exhausted. Cause of the blaze has not been determined. The span was 80 feet long and 20 feet wide. It was covered entirely with wood." Approaches exist. Replaced by concrete. It has been suggested that the bridge was destroyed by a carelessly discarded cigarette.

Sources:
The Kentucky Post (Covington, Kentucky), Wednesday, July 29, 1931, Page 1
The State Journal (Frankfort, Kentucky), Wednesday, July 29, 1931, Page 8
Database of Kentucky covered bridges compiled by Robert W. M. Laughlin
Laughlin, Robert W. M. and Melissa C. Jurgensen. Covered Bridges of Kentucky, 2007, page 31

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