N. Maple Grove Road

North Maple Grove Road is a long curvy road starting at old 46 Arlington Road and currently ends at the east end of Delap Road. The road previously crossed over Bean Blossom Creek, but the covered bridge that was there burned down in 1976 due to arson. A federal grant was made in 2008 to replace the covered bridge with one from Shelby County.

Just south of the intersection of W. Maple Grove Road is a point from which you can see some buildings in Bloomington.

Stone walls

The stone walls that this road is famous for are not the result of slave work or anything like that, it was simply a trend that was started in the late 19th century in that area.

Old Maple Grove Road

This is the part of the road north of Bean Blossom Creek that was mostly abandoned after the bridge was destroyed. The road is a rugged gravel road that runs along the creek and next to farmland. Apparently a car was lit on fire on the road recently and it has turned into a place for some rebellious people to hang out at night.

Covered Bridge

The covered bridge that crossed over Bean Blossom Creek was destroyed by arson in 1976. In May of 2008, Mark Krenz talked with the farmer that owns the land directly north of where the bridge crossed. He recalled that at the time, he was a teenager and he and some friends where returning from watching a movie at the Starlite Drive-in. They saw the glow from the fire and went to go call the fire department, from his house, but the line was dead because the phone line used the bridge to cross the river at the time. He said that the bridge and road was a "lover's lane" type of place, frequented by students. He said that the bridge's roof had just been replaced a few months before it was destroyed. The farmer actually owns a painting of the bridge and was afraid that if they build another bridge, that it will be burned down too.

In June of 2007, Monroe County highway engineer Bill Williams applied for a federal grant to replace the bridge, which was approved in April of 2008. The bridge that is being used to replace it was called the Cedar Ford Covered Bridge. This bridge was originally built in Shelby County in 1885 by A.M. Kennedy & Sons out of Rushville. It is a 127-foot long burr arch bridge and was taken down in 1975 and has been stored in a barn since.

External links

• Grant will help revive covered bridge in northern Monroe - Herald Times, April 9, 2008