Bridge History
Read below to find out more about the legacy of the Wooden Bridge and the community who came together to build a Frankenmuth landmark!
If you think the era of the Covered Bridge in America is as dead as the horse and buggy days, you had better plan a visit to Frankenmuth, Michigan to see what has been built over the Cass River!
A 239 foot replica of an authentic 19th century covered bridge, known as Bavarian Inn Holz Brücke, completed the long-time dream of Ed win (Eddie) Zehnder and brother William (Tiny) Zehnder, jr., principles of the Zehnder Restaurant Corporation of Frankenmuth. The era of the covered bridge in America was short lived, and today they are considered historic monuments. Michigan has only three covered bridges open for vehicular traffic. However, the main objective of the Zehnder family was the creation of additional parking facilities on the spacious property on the other side of the Cass River from their restaurant facilities. A parking area accommodates 350 cars and 50 buses.
Pictured above: Milton S. Graton
DESIGNER, ENGINEER AND BUILDER OF WOODEN COVERED BRIDGES - no other phrase could better describe the man, who at age 70, chose to spend two years building for the Zehnder Family of Frankenmuth, Michigan the Holz Brücke Covered Bridge. Hopes are that it will remain a monument for a Century to his craft and days "gone by" in this part of the Country.
Pictured above: Oxen Buck & Bright, who pulled the Holz Brücke Covered Bridge over the Cass River
Covered bridges were built on dry land and then placed into position over the rivers in days gone by. Such was also the case in Frankenmuth. After the 230 ton structure was completed on the east bank of the river, Graton Associates, employed a system of block, capstan, come-alongs and pulleys to enable each of two oxen to pull as much as 180 oxen would normally displace. The entire "pull" into place accomplished during a twelve day period in January of 1980.
Five types of wood were used in the bridge: Douglas Fir (from Oregon), Oak, Spruce, Cedar and Pine. In August of 1978, three flat cars of timber arrived in the nearby town of Gera and was trucked to Frankenmuth where the curring process was completed. The two trusses and floor joists were fashioned from 100,000 board feet of Douglas Fir. The flooring contains 15,960 board feet of4 inch planks. The portion of the floor which will serve the greater wear is of oak while the remaining portion is of Spruce; 20,000 board feet of Douglas Fir was used for the rafters; the roof shingles are of Cedar. An additional 4,340 board feet of Pine was required for the bridge side boards.
The bridge has two trusses, each with a weight of 20 tons. The two basic elements of the truss are the somewhat vertical criss-crossing pieces which give the lattice effect and of course the horizontal chords which "tie" these pieces together. The timber pieces in the truss work are all 32 feet long and either 4" x 12" or 4" x 14". There are 120 lattice pieces and 136 chord pieces in each truss. This Town Lattice style is considered not only attractive but the strongest possible design for "heavy" load applications.
A man named Ithiel Town from New Haven, Connecticut is credited with the development of this design in 1820. Trunnels or tree nails, are huge wooden dowels used to tie together the lattice work, as well as roof and floor chords. The trunnels are made of oak and are approximately 2" in diameter. The majority of trunnels used in the Frankenmuth Bridge are over 2 feet in length and a total of 1890 trunnels were used in the total structure. After being individually fashioned to the proper diameter and length, a hole is drilled for each trunnel and then it is driven into place with a sledge hammer.
A video detailing the entire construction process is available to watch at the Covered Bridge Shop!
Celebrate the rich history of the Holz Brücke Covered Bridge with our 45th Anniversary Collection
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