Constructed in 1873, the Bigelow Bridge spans approximately 100 feet across Little Darby Creek. Reuben Partridge built the superstructure at a cost of $12.50 per linear foot ($1,500), and Bercupile & Snell built the masonry foundation at a cost of $7.00 per perch, about 25 cubic feet. Partridge built bridges throughout Union County and the surrounding area from 1866 until his death in 1900. The covered bridge is named for Eliphas Bigelow, an early resident of Union County who built the nearby Bigelow House on the south side of Post Road (SR 161) in 1846. Union County Engineer employees rehabilitated the bridge from 1989 to 1991 by installing a new support system, and the Partridge trusses now carry only the weight of the original bridge. The rehabilitation project received the 1992 Engineered Timber Bridge Award from the National Forest Products Association. South of the bridge lie the Darby Plains, known for their level surface and deep, rich soils. The area was once largely prairie with scattered groves of oak, hickory, and plum trees, where native wildflowers and tall grasses grew in abundance. In the early 1800s, members of the New Light Christian Church moved from New England to establish a colony on the Darby Plains. Settlers raised livestock there because the prairie was excellent for grazing, but because it became very wet at certain times of the year, farmers in the mid-1800s began ditching, tiling, and draining it. With artificial drainage, the plains became excellent for growing grain, and some of Ohio’s best agricultural land is found there.
