Nichols Covered Bridge

Donald F. Nichols Covered Bridge is a Covered Bridge on the Kal-Haven Trail the bridge is a 108-foot long covered footbridge. The bridge is located near the South Haven (West) trail-head.[1] The Kal-Haven Trail has seven bridges along the trial that were historic railroad bridge. These bridge were built when the original railroad was built in 1870.[2] The trestle railroad bridge was turned into a covered bridge as part of the conversion of old railroad bed to public trail.[3]

Donald F. Nichols Covered Bridge
Coordinates42°25′04″N 86°15′01″W
CarriesCovered Bridge Road
CrossesBlack River
LocaleSouth Haven, Michigan
Official nameDonald F. Nichols Covered Bridge
Maintained byVan Buren Parks Department
Characteristics
Total length180 ft (55 m)
Statistics
Daily trafficFoot and bike

Original bridge

The original bridge was built by the Kalamazoo and South Haven Railroad. lack of money caused the railroads future to be placed in the possibility of the new company folding and not completing the rail line.[4] Michigan Central Railroad leased the route and bought bonds in the Kalamazoo and South Haven Railroad savings the line.[4]

Business man community leaders wanted the railroad to come to their communities because they say it as being able to can access to South Haven's harbor could give them access to the great lakes.[4]

Liberty Hyde Bailey Jr. skipped school to see they new Kalamazoo & South Haven Railroad's new bridge over the Black River. "the most wonderful engineering feat in all the world."[5]

Conversion

The bridge was built in its current form by the Michigan Civilian Conservation Corps over the Black River.[6][7][8] The Michigan Civilian Conservation Corp that performed the work was a nine-member group that had covered the former railroad trestles for use for bicycles.[9] The Michigan Civilian Conservation Corp of 1988 was made up of 500 previously unemployed people from 18-25 who worked for one year earning minimum wage instead of getting welfare.[10]

The bridge is named after a local resident, his family (Robert Nichols) donated the material to convert the bridge from a trestle railroad bridge to a covered bridge after his death.[7]

Donald F. Nichols

Donald and his wife were the owners of the Nichols Hotel in South Haven, Michigan.[11] Donald died at the age of 72 in 1981 and was cremated.[11] The Nichols hotel was opened in 1926 with 16 guest rooms, that had Oak trim with pine accents in the lobby.[12] In 1949, Donald was arrested and charged with cruelly and unlawfully punishing his then 15-year-old daughter, which ended in a hung jury.[13] It was alleged that he horsewhipped his daughter, she escaped her room and went to the local police station.

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References
  1. Pollack, Susan (September 30, 2000). "Nature's Road Show". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  2. "West Michigan Home to 'super-scenic' bike trials". The Herald-Palladium. September 26, 2003. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  3. Aiken, Scott (September 30, 1990). "Rails to trails Bikers, hikers follow path railroad once occupied". The Herald-Palladium. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  4. "Building the Railroad". Kal-Haven Heritage Trail Website. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  5. "Bridges". Kal-Haven Heritage Trail Website. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  6. "Bridge Beauty, Hiker's Heavan". The Herald-Palladium. February 8, 1990. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  7. "Kal-Haven Trail Sesquicentennial State Park". Detroit Free Press. July 24, 1994. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  8. "Bridge Beauty: Hiker's Heaven". The Hearld-Palladium. February 8, 1990. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  9. "Kal-Haven Trail gets $100,000 grant". The Herald-Palladium. May 31, 1988. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  10. "Kal-Haven Trail on State CCC's list". The Herald-Palladium. October 12, 1988. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  11. "Donald Nichols Obituary". The Herald-Palladium. November 28, 1981. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  12. "South Havens great fun! Just ask a Chicagoan". Detroit Free Press. May 18, 1986. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  13. "No Verdict in Child-Beating Case". The News-Palladium. April 8, 1949. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
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