One of the sad things about progress is that remnants of the past slowly disappear. Sometimes, it is not obvious as the disappearance happens slowly over a long period of time. All of a sudden, we realize that what we once treasured is now hard to find. Take windmills for instance. At one time before the advent of the Industrial Revolution, there were over 200,000 windmills in Europe. Today, there are very few windmills to be found there. North America's version of the windmill are covered bridges. Many were built when horses were still the main method of transportation for individuals. Their decline started with the introduction of the automobile. Many have been replaced by modern roads and bridges. Do a search for covered bridges in your state and you will find quite a small number.
One sign that covered bridges are facing distinction is that some can now be found in museums. My wife and I spent some time in Vermont this past September and visited the terrific Shelburne Museum, which has a covered bridge on its grounds. The bridge once crossed the Lamoille River in Cambridge, Vermont. It was dismantled in 1949 and was moved to the museum grounds, situated over a small pond. The bridge is only open to foot traffic and I captured this photo of the pond and this one-room schoolhouse that was also relocated to the museum grounds. If you are in the Burlington area, please take a day visiting this unique museum. It is one of my favorites.