The Bridges of Madison County

Those darned bridges. They had an impact on my life and those of my colleagues at National Geographic. When a certain book about the covered bridges of this western Iowa county appeared, we began getting calls and letters (this was before email!) about the photographer, Robert Kinkaid, who was portrayed in the book. It didn't take long for us to get hold of the book and realize that it was a work of fiction. But author Robert Waller framed his novel as if it were the true story of a National Geographic photographer and his amorous adventures while on assignment. Many readers assumed it was true, and were astounded to learn that there was no Robert Kinkaid. Some of them absolutely refused to believe it.

When the movie version came out, the calls and letters became an onslaught and led to my fifteen seconds of fame when I was interviewed on Entertainment Tonight, squeezed in with interview segments with stars Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep.

I couldn't resist driving through Madison County and chasing down a couple of the bridges (unlike the book's characters, the bridges do exist). There are a number of them around Madison County and they are remarkably well kept. I saw two of them.

This is the Hogback Bridge. It was built in 1884 and measures 97 feet in length:





The Roseman Bridge. This 107-foot bridge was built in 1883 and played a prominent role in both the book and film versions of The Bridges of Madison County. Both the Roseman and the Hogback were built by a man named Benton Jones which is why they look very similar. Neither is used for vehicular traffic anymore:





The bridges rest in very peaceful, isolated settings and, like the Field of Dreams, there is no commericial aspect to them. I had some time alone with both bridges, savoring these relics of the past along with the beautiful day. The bridges also had a few other visitors while I was there. I wondered if any of them were looking for the elusive Robert Kinkaid.