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Bridge History 

The Ohio corn sped outside the window like waves upon an inland sea. The view from the back seat revealed a distant horizon upon which ancient peoples had formed sinuous earthworks like veins upon the surface of flesh. Slowly, the topography became more varied as the car traveled south towards the river. Small pockets of trees that previously appeared like islands in the sea of corn had concentrated into a shoreline; a seemingly unending landmass of rolling forest unfurled before them. Giant columns of concrete, glass and steel massed on the edge of the river. The father drove through the man made maze with a purpose.

Crossing the river to Kentucky is easy, now. The bridge decking is grated steel. The motion of the wheels, some going north, some going south, played the decking like strings. As the wheels rolled across, it sang a whiny song. The tune was both eerie and haunting. It reverberated throughout the vehicle and throughout their bodies. The song was neither quickly forgotten, nor easy to comprehend. Presently, for the little brother and sister passengers, crossing the river meant only a return to the land of their ancestors; they were getting closer and closer to Grandma’s house.

  The River marked the transition from the state in which they lived to the state in which they were born. It had also marked for many, a border between the North and the South. In some ways it still does. Today a change in atmosphere is present, however it is no longer the difference between freedom and slavery. The buildings are much lower on the South side of the river. Although these structures are still close together, the streets are not nearly so packed with their inhabitants as across the river in Cincinnati. Lounges and liquor stores are in abundance. A boy pushing a shopping cart walks down the sidewalk smoking a cigarette. The little boy in the backseat of the car cannot imagine doing something like that in public, where he might be seen and recognized. After a well-known succession of turns our family of four begins driving east along the South side of the river.

The scenery quickly changes back to a more sylvan setting. The woodlands along the shore know nothing of state lines. A myriad image of countless hills, hollows, and homes begins to build in the children’s young minds. Foliage is ever-present, surrounding things, overtaking, and reclaiming them. Dense undergrowth and lofty trees cover everything that has not been cleared. Even when you cannot see the river you can smell and feel it’s humidity.