SWINGING BRIDGES WERE NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART

(06/12/2026)

A well-constructed swinging bridge, likely a 1960s erection, crosses the West Fork of the Little Kanawha near the long-gone Village of Richardson By Bob Weaver There are still a few swinging bridges being used in Calhoun County, but most are dangling in disrepair across rivers and streams. Built without benefit of formal engineering, the swinging bridge is a distinctive form of folk construction, suited for pedestrians crossing streams in the rugged Appalachian region. Swinging bridges were common landmarks in the last century. The bridges were not for the faint of heart. Although such bridges are strong enough to support foot traffic, they lack stiffness and swing from side to side and vertically under foot traffic. Many bridges, lacking repair and wire sides, were invitations to take a tumble. Perhaps, my ambulance buddy and I almost met our maker in the 1960s, attempting to get an ambulance cot across Sandy Creek, Roane County. The bridge had open sides. A woman was having a heart attack, and slowly moving the cot high above the creekbed, the cot got stuck in a crack. In the darkness of night, someway, somehow, we fearfully inched her across to get her to the hospital.

Hur Herald ®from Sunny Cal The information on these pages, to the extent the law allows, remains the exclusive property of Bob Weaver and Dianne Weaver The Hur Herald. All information may be freely used but must not be sold or used in any type of commercial endeavor, or used on any web site without the express permission of the owners ©Bob and Dianne Weaver, The Hur Herald, 1999, 2000, 2001