The Bridges of Madison County

Yesterday, we left Story City - a sleepy little town with a proud Scandinavia-American heritage. The flags were out because of the yearly Scandinavian Festival that happens this weekend there

Story City History:

Early settlers, primarily of Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish heritage, came to the Story City area in the 1850's. In 1855, Fairview, the original name for Story City, was platted and social and business activitity grew. In 1857 the town was renamed Story City after US Supreme Court Judge Joseph Story. Story City continues to celebrate the traditions of our earliest families with something of interest for every member of your family. As the diversity of our town grows every year, so do the entertainment and food selections of our festival. We invite you to join us for some old~fashioned family fun in celebration of our collective heritage.

If you like old Cowboy movies you will know that the Birthplace of John Wayne was here, in Winterset, Iowa. We have visited the place and also the museum and gift shop where you can buy everything John Wayne.

John Wayne Museum
Hollywood legend John Wayne was born Marion Morrison in Winterset on May 26, 1907. Guided tours of his Birthplace home are available from 10:00am to 4:30pm daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's day and Easter.

We went into the little pretty town of Winterset, a town that played a role in a movie set to the movie "The Bridges of Madison County" with Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood.

The more than 100 feet high tower of the court house in Winterset

Roseman covered bridge over the Middle River
Built in 1883 by Benton Jones, it is 107 feet in length and sits in its original location. Roseman was renovated in 1992 at a cost of $152,515. In Robert James Waller's novel The Bridges of Madison County and the movie of the same name, Roseman is the bridge Robert Kincaid seeks when he stops at Francesca Johnson's for directions; it is also where Francesca leaves her note inviting him to dinner.

Also known as the “haunted” bridge, Roseman is where two sheriff’s posses trapped a county jail escapee in 1892. Uttering a wild cry, it is said the man rose up straight through the roof of the bridge and disappeared. He was never found, and it was decided that anyone capable of such a feat must be innocent.

Roseman covered bridge, view of the Middle River

If you have a chance, watch the movie again! I guess, I have seen it 5 times for sure :)

Robert Kincaid (Clint Eastwood) has come to Madison County, Iowa, in order to take pictures of the Roseman and Holliwell covered bridges. He is a professional photographer on assignment to National Geographic magazine in the fall of 1965 and he is lost. Pulling his green pickup into the driveway of a well kept farmhouse, he stops to ask directions. Francesca Johnson (Meryl Streep) is at home, alone, her husband and two children having departed for four days to the Illinois state fair. She has been married for 15 years and the luxury of time to herself is an unusual break from her daily life, as is the courteous stranger approaching her for information.

These are the opening circumstances for an extraordinary story, adapted to the screen by Richard LaGravenese from Robert James Waller's novel, The Bridges of Madison County.

There are 6 covered bridges in Madison County. This one is the Cutler - Donahoe Bridge in Winterset. I have also photographed the Imes Covered Bridge in St. Charles, that's the oldest remaining covered bridge, built in 1870 and looks pretty much like this one above.

Cutler-Donahoe Bridge
Built in 1870 by Eli Cox, it is 79 feet in length and features a pitched roof. It was originally located over the North River near Bevington. It was moved to its present site in Winterset's City Park in 1970.Cutler-Donahoe was renovated in 1997 for $35,538.

And for the most I loved all those pretty, nasty,cute, funny,crazy graffitties carved into the wooden walls of ALL bridges in Madison County - like this one :)


Hi my friends,

I'm online again.... We have seen yesterday a lot of great things in a short time. I hope you have enjoyed my post about the Bridges in Madison County!

Today we drove towards East to find some Amish people - and we did! I'll show you some photographs about my first visit to the Amish world tomorrow :)

Thanks for all your kind comments and visits to my blog, very much appreciated!

Have a nice weekend - and come back and comment again. Thanks!
Susanne