This piece is part of a series of articles submitted to The Local Tourist through a cooperation with a 400-level travel writing class at Purdue University.
By Mina Reising
I’ll admit, my initial impression of Bridgeton Indiana wasn’t promising.
After turning off the highway in Parke County, I drove slowly down a narrow road that skittered for miles through fields of dried corn and soybeans.
My anxiety spiked as the road emptied out into Bridgeton. In that moment, I could almost convince myself that I’d driven into a ghost town. It seems like there’s nothing here, I thought. How would I find something to write about? What would make people want to go to this town?
Every fall, that question has an easy answer. People come in droves to Parke County’s Covered Bridge Festival, which typically draws over a million visitors. There’s no doubt that Indiana’s largest festival is a huge source of business for small towns.
However, there’s another answer to my question: Bridgeton demands a visit on its own.
In the hours to come, I would hear dozens of stories about Bridgeton. I learned of its origin as Native American land, about its rebellious phase as a town of ill repute, and the importance of the mill in cementing the town’s status.
Bridgeton is brimming with stories. It’s worth staying to hear them.
THE COVERED BRIDGE
Naturally, my first order of business was to visit Bridgeton’s covered bridge, which the town’s website touts as one of the most famous bridges in Indiana. An arsonist destroyed it in 2005, but the bridge was rebuilt a year later.
It spans Big Raccoon Creek, sitting atop a frothy waterfall that pours over a concrete dam.
The bright red bridge matches the nearby Bridgeton Mill, and the color added a cheery note to the dreary September weather on the day of my visit.
According to Mike Roe, owner of the mill, nearly 300 donated trees were used in rebuilding the bridge. Roe recalled the community coming together to raise money and said that the old bridge held many fond memories for people, all the way back to first horse and buggy rides.
It’s impossible to walk across the bridge without noticing bits and pieces of history written on the wooden beams: anything from declarations of love to memorials honoring lost family members.
Even the signage on the bridge’s exterior contains a link to the town’s historic days: “Cross bridge at a walk.”
The admonition was not for me – rather, it was a remnant of a time when the bridge was still open to horse and buggy traffic.
THE BRIDGETON MILL
A sign at the entrance of the Bridgeton Mill proclaims its importance as the oldest continually operating mill west of the Allegheny Mountains. The smell of fresh baked goods was unmistakable, and my stomach grumbled as I approached the entrance.
The mill’s interior walls displayed a hodgepodge of historical photos, newspaper clippings, maps and signs. Arrowheads for sale were labeled as “good, gooder, and gooderest.”
Condensation dripped down coolers full of glass soda bottles. Equipment crowded much of the area, and everywhere there were mill products for sale – flour, grits, muffin and pancake mixes, fish batter and even polenta.
Roe, dressed in jean overalls and a plaid shirt, was the picture of what I imagined a miller should look like. “Twist my arm,” he chuckled good-naturedly when I asked for some of his stories.
He began with the story of the “10 O’Clock Line,” a boundary that divided Native American land from settler land. According to legend, the line was drawn by the shadow of a spear thrown into the ground at 10:00 a.m.
A historical marker sits beyond the covered bridge, highlighting the ancient origins of Bridgeton’s land.
Roe said that it was hard for early settlers to sell anything since most people raised the same kinds of produce and livestock. However, the mill would change everything.
“Someone builds a mill,” Roe said. “Boom. So the town starts to grow.”
The Bridgeton Mill was built in 1823. Though various fires and dust explosions occurred throughout the centuries, the mill has been open every year since then.
Roe and his wife produce and sell over 40 products. They’re open every day from April through December, from 10:00 a.m. “till tired.” Locally made ice cream, sweet treats and homemade bread from the Old Mill Snack Shop complete the Bridgeton experience.
1878 HOUSE AND 1822 LOG CABIN
The mill isn’t the only historic building in Bridgeton. Just down the street is a Victorian house built in 1878. Once the residence of Bridgeton’s miller, it’s now a shop selling antiques, collectibles and vintage items.
While wandering through the house, the floor creaking comfortably beneath my feet, I met Susan Carr, the owner of the 1878 House.
Her great-great-great grandfather built the log cabin that sits behind the house. Constructed in 1822 and moved from its original location to reside in Bridgeton, the cabin took seven years to reassemble.
The result is an intimate look at an old way of life – complete with an open hearth, solid Dutch ovens and a string to cook chicken over the fire.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Carr offered field trips to the cabin. During these field trips, children had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in homesteading.
They were able to churn butter, grind wheat and assist Carr in making bread on the cabin hearth.
Carr expressed interest in starting the trips up again, saying that she liked talking to the children about history.
“It was completely different than how it is now,” Carr said. “If you didn’t grow it, or couldn’t figure out how to trade for something, then you were going to be hungry.”
New memories can always be made alongside the history in Bridgeton. The 1878 Barn, neighboring the cabin, remains in use as an event venue.
Both the 1878 House and the 1822 Log Cabin are open on weekends from April through December, and during the Covered Bridge Festival.
THE DR. CROOKS BUILDING
A Beatles song played in the background as I walked inside the Dr. Crooks Building. Finding myself in an artist’s studio, I turned in a full circle to survey the organized chaos of paints, prints and easels.
Within a few moments, I met Greg Hagen, Bridgeton’s resident artist and designer.
His studio was built in 1869 and was the home of Bridgeton’s first physician. Though it no longer has three stories, the building is one of the oldest in town. Equally as important, it’s also home to the public restrooms.
Hagen, the son of a Polish immigrant, first visited Bridgeton many years ago.
“The first time I saw this building in ’71 I said, ‘what a great art school,’” said Hagen. “So here we are.”
Even in a space as eclectic as an artist’s studio, Bridgeton’s history is on full display. Much of Hagen’s art features scenes of historic Parke County.
Hagen’s “Flacks” clothing line, inspired by flour sacks, includes prints from a digitally restored 1880 flour sack from the Bridgeton Mill.
Even if you don’t leave wearing a piece of Bridgeton’s history, it will certainly make an impression on you. “Have you seen the artisan website?” an older man asked me as I headed back to my car.
When I politely responded that I had not, he lumbered over to the wall of a barn, where a small card labeled “Artisan Market Web Site” sat unceremoniously over a cobweb stretched between two boards.
I laughed at the joke. The town certainly didn’t have a sophisticated online presence. As far as I knew, there were no travel influencers inviting their followers to come to Bridgeton.
It’s worth coming anyway.
During the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival, the sleepy town is transformed by swarms of people. Bridgeton is one of nine locations in Parke County that host the festival. Nearly every building is open for business, and the streets are crowded with vendors selling food, crafts and souvenirs.
The Ford Garage, the Old Firehouse and the Bridgeton School are some other historical highlights to add to your itinerary should you choose to visit Bridgeton during the 10-day festival.
Despite the draw of the event and its undeniable popularity, I’d argue that Bridgeton is worth visiting outside of the Covered Bridge Festival.
The townspeople connect their visitors to a historical legacy that reaches far, far back into the Midwestern frontier. Their stories just need someone to listen.
Bridgeton Indiana is located northeast of Terre Haute and west of Indianapolis. If you like Bridgeton, you’ll also enjoy Brown County and Crawfordsville, two other areas brimming with history.