With fewer than a thousand remaining in the United States, the covered
bridges of Alabama are an important relic of the paths our ancestors
took.
Alabama's covered bridges are reminiscent of a more romantic time, when
people rode in horse-drawn buggies and couples stole kisses beneath
their roofs. But they are also keepers of history - structures built by
former slaves and Civil War soldiers. Such places are steeped in legend,
including tales of ghostly children and the hanging of a sheriff turned
outlaw. Just eleven historic covered bridges survive in Alabama - the
oldest dating to the 1850s - but dozens of more recently constructed
spans dot the landscape. Wil Elrick and Kelly Kazek provide photos and
detailed information on more than fifty Alabama bridges, reveal the fate
of the state's lost bridges and delve into the haunting legends
surrounding these nostalgic structures.