Pennsylvania has more covered bridges than any other state, and, it is said, always has had. But other regions can make their claims. Vermont, a much smaller state, claims a greater density of covered bridges. (More bridges per square mile? We assume so). Parke County, Indiana, claims more covered bridges than any other county, but Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, comes in second. Then there is Madison County, Iowa, which has, well, The Bridges of Madison County.
In the downeast Canadian Province of New Brunswick, we are informed, 69 of the 120 recorded covered bridges are still standing.
Oregon claims more covered bridges than any other western state. Oregon is unusual in another way -- all of its bridges were build in the twentieth century. This probably reflects two, or perhaps three, differences. First, Oregon's mild climate favors rot, as the climate of Britain does and as we discussed in the FAQ sheet. Thus, Oregon's nineteenth century bridges just have not survived. Second, Oregon has continued to produce timber, so that wood remains a (relatively) cheap building material. Third -- though we doubt that some of the regions would admit this -- it could be that Oregonians just love their covered bridges more. Anyway, Oregon has continued to build covered bridges when other areas have mostly stopped.
We were able to visit a few of the Oregon Bridges on our 1992 trip there.
