Cutler–Donahoe Bridge

The Cutler-Donahoe Bridge is a timber-framed structure located within a city park in Iowa, featuring wooden supports held together with pins and metal bolts. The bridge spans about 80 feet and displays the straightforward construction methods used in rural covered bridges.

This bridge was built in 1871 to cross a river near a rural settlement before being relocated to the city park almost a century later. The move in the 1970s saved it from decay and made it accessible to the public.

The bridge carries the names of two local families who lived near its original location in the 1800s. These family connections reflect how covered bridges once served as landmarks tied to the communities around them.

The bridge sits within a public park and is easy to reach on foot from the parking area near the park entrance. The location is open year-round, making it accessible for visits at any time.

The bridge uses an uncommon combination of two structural systems layered together, blending traditional carpentry with a specialized truss pattern rarely seen in other covered bridges. This hybrid approach represents an interesting engineering experiment from the wooden bridge era.