Covered Bridges
Lowell was the site of one of ten wooden covered bridges, built from 1820 to 1887, that crossed the Muskingum River from Marietta to Coshocton. The Lowell bridge was built in 1881. Bridges were built out of wood because there was plenty of lumber available, and building with wood was easier and cheaper than using stone. Covers protected the timbers from rain. The bridge connected Lowell, on the north side of the river, with the railroad that ran on the south side. This bridge suffered from many mishaps typical of wooden bridges. In 1882 a storm blew off the roof. In 1884 a flood washed the bridge off its stone piers. The 1913 flood destroyed the Lowell bridge and many other bridges on the river. An iron bridge was built on the site. The last covered bridge on the river, at Conesville seven miles south of Coshocton, was condemned in 1958.
Courtesy hmdb.org
