Swastika found under structure; ceremony may be rescheduled
Countless examples of mostly innocuous graffiti litter the 138-year old Milroy Covered Bridge at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Crown Point, but the recent discovery of new graffiti led to the cancellation Wednesday of the bridge’s dedication ceremony, said Claudia Carlson, administrative assistant for the Lake County Fairgrounds.
The new graffiti, a swastika located under the bridge, contrasts with “Beth+Kevin, Summer ’16” and similar messages found on the interior.
“It’s brand-new graffiti. My husband (Paul Carlson) is the superintendent, and we were gone the week of June 4, so we think it popped up then,” Carlson said. “So we thought we couldn’t have everyone see that.”
The ceremony was planned because the bridge recently underwent renovations that will once again allow motorists to traverse the bridge, Carlson said. According to a plaque, the bridge was constructed by A.M. Kennedy and Sons in 1878 and originally stood over the Flat Rock River, south of Milroy, Ind. It was moved to its current location in 1933 after it was purchased for $25 by Crown Point Mayor Col. John Wheeler in an effort to save the bridge from demolition.
Carlson said she expects the ceremony to be rescheduled within the next two weeks but nothing will be decided until the graffiti is cleaned up.
“The Lake County Highway Department came in (Tuesday or Wednesday), and they’re going to give (Paul Carlson) a recommendation on what to do with it,” Carlson said.
PREVIOUS ARTICLE
