Water Under the Bridge

The Little Chuckey Creek valley, located in the western part of our great county, may be the most beautiful part of the world you have yet to see. You will go through dramatic changes of scenery as you travel down the Warrensburg Road (Warrensburg was nearly the name of Greeneville had it not been for Robert Kerr and his generous donation of land where our town is currently located as the seat of government). As you begin this journey down the Warrensburg Road, it is sloping, curving, and back-dropped by picturesque mountains. When you reach the end of this beautiful road, the bottom falls out of the hills and you are presented with a very flat and vast Nolichucky River basin that looks like a scene you might catch way out west in the Great Plains.

One major attraction you will see along your journey down this route, is the Bible’s Covered Bridge. The original bridge was built in 1923 by A. A. McLean (a noted covered bridge builder in the Shenandoah Valley) on the property of E.A. Bible- a descendent of Christian Bible who was the first ancestor of mine to arrive in East Tennessee in 1783 from Pennsylvania. E.A. had been farming the fertile valley of Little Chuckey Creek and had to ford the stream to get access to the main road. He had the bridge built to endure the seasonal weather of East Tennessee and to preserve his wagons that had to make the fifteen-mile track to town.

Covered bridges, during the 20th century, became very decorative and ornate. The reason for covered bridges was to protect, preserve and prolong the life of the wooden trusses that supported the weight of the bridge. They are a wonder to behold and they always draw a crowd. Bible’s Covered Bridge is no exception, but I was very disappointed upon my last visit. The source of my disappointment comes from the amount of defacing and graffiti that was left behind by folks who felt the need to leave their mark on this piece of history. If you visit places like these, there is no need to spray paint or carve your name, leave it for other people to enjoy. I promise your mark will be left behind by the memories you will carry with you for the rest of your life.