Picture courtesy of Jim Kuntz.

Picture courtesy of Jim Kuntz.

Union Covered Bridge, completed in 1871 by bridge builder Joseph Elliot, and named for the Union Church which stood nearby, is the only Burr Arch truss system bridge still standing in Missouri. Located 8 miles southwest of Paris, in Monroe County, the bridge measures 120 feet long, 17 feet, 6 inches wide, and has an entrance height of 12 feet; just high enough to admit a wagon load of hay.

On April 8, 1870, the Monroe County Court authorized the funds necessary to construct a bridge over Elk Fork of Salt River on the Paris to Fayette [in Howard County] road. Joseph Elliot, a bridge builder from Payson, Ill., was chosen to build the bridge.

Then as now, the county court was responsible for the maintenance of certain roads and bridges. Construction work was bid out, and the firm that offered the lowest price was generally chosen to do the work.

Union Covered Bridge was built almost entirely of native oak. Oak is a common wood in northeast Missouri, easily available, hard, durable, and reasonably easy to work with. All of the wood used in Union Covered Bridge, with the exception of the cedar shingles, is oak.

Another interesting feature of Union Covered Bridge is that the siding is horizontal, as it would be on a house; the other covered bridges in Missouri have vertical siding, as would be found on a barn.

The many nooks and crannies in an uncovered bridge trapped dirt and moisture. This was ideal for decay of the timbers. Uncovered bridges exposed to the elements had a normal life expectancy of around ten years. Covered bridges were roofed over to increase their longevity by protecting the trusses from the elements. As one contemporary expressed it, bridges were covered for the same reasons women wore petticoats-"...to protect their underpinnings." Other advantages also resulted:
1. The barn like structures helped reassure farm animals about to crow.
2. The roofed structures served as emergency shelters.
3. The covering added to the strength of the bridge, reducing the sag and creaking commonly found in uncovered bridges.

Shortly after being taken over by the state park system, Union Covered Bridge received its first restoration work. Rotted or missing siding was replaced and roof repairs were made.
Another phase of this early restoration included attempting to remove a sag in the bridge lifting it with a crane. Unable to move the bridge, the crane nearly pulled itself into the water.
After completing the restoration work, the bridge continued to carry traffic until 1970. For 99 years, Union Covered Bridge had served local travelers.

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