Ohio State Route 732 - History

History

We begin by reviewing late eighteenth century military roads in Butler County. The first was built in 1791 by General Arthur St. Clair from Cincinnati to Hamilton and continuing north to the fortifications at Eaton. This road was about 7 miles (11 km) east of Oxford and OH 732 and followed Seven Mile Creek This was done in his unsuccessful campaign. In 1794 General Anthony Wayne constructed a road north from Fort Hamilton a few miles east of St. Clair's road, giving rise to the long multi-county road "Wayne Trace". In 1804 the Ohio Legislature passed an act requiring roads to be 20 feet (6.1 m) wide with stumps not to exceed one foot.

Eaton Road (future OH 732) is clearly marked on McBride's Map of Oxford Township of 1836. The land and overshot mill of the Austins is also marked where Eaton Road crosses Talawanda Creek. Aaron Austin whose 1816 homestead is still near the Black Covered Bridge operated the Mill here on Talawanda Creek. The mill eventually passed into the hands of Pugh and the Austin land passed into the hands of a successful swine breeder,David Magie, a contributor to the Poland China Hog. The covered bridge was called Black by local people to distinguish it from the white painted bridge one mile (1.6 km) downstream which carried the traffic of the future OH 73.

The enumeration of Ohio State Routes began in 1924, but was adjusted by the 1926–27 effort of the Federal Government to do the same. Added to the system in 1938, OH 732 was the longest of four Butler County routes to be designated by number that yearThe Butler County Engineers Office indicates that SR732 was rerouted in 1951 to use the current bridge crossing Talawanda Creek a few hundred feet east of the Black Bridge. There being no other bridge piers in evidence shows that the Black Bridge carried OH 732 until 1951.

The precursor to OH 732 between Oxford and Eaton was laid out in March 1811. The road began on the Great Miami River at Derrough's Ford, proceeding north to Oxford and then on to Eaton.

The Black Covered Bridge spanning Talawanda Creek just north of the Oxford City limits was constructed in 1868. The bridge was renovated in 1998 and can be viewed by the passerby from the current OH 732 bridge by looking upstream (west). This bridge spans Talawanda Creek which is 209 feet (64 m) wide at this point. It is exceeded in length by only a few Ohio covered bridges. Built by Bandin, Butin and Bowman in 1868 and 1869, it incorporates both the truss style of Childs and that of Long in one bridge. The first version was an arched structure with a roadway width of 18 feet (5.5 m). In 1869 a stone pier was added as a support beneath the center of the bridge. The bow in the bridge was removed by replacing some wooden cross members with threaded iron rods. The nuts at the ends of these were loosened so that the bow was straightened and the middle of the bridge was lowered onto the pier. The bridge is so named to distinguish it from the white bridge east of Oxford and was useful in servicing Pugh's Mill at the time of construction.The Butler County Engineers Office-BCEO indicates that SR732 was rerouted in 1951 to use the current bridge crossing Talawanda Creek a few hundred feet east of the Black Bridge. There being no other bridge piers in evidence shows that the Black Bridge carried SR732 until 1951.