ED Rush Covered Bridge

The E.D. Rush Covered Bridge is in Lebanon, Laclede County, Missouri. It reminds me of other covered bridges in Missouri, but is not one of only four old covered bridges left in Missouri. We visited here on August 11, 2025, on our way home from a four day weekend in Midwest Missouri. This bridge is right next to the school in the middle of town and is located on private property. I wonder who E.D. Rush is or was! I read that it was built in 1980, but it looks much older than that to me. If someone built it with intentionality to look older, they did a great job!

I have been to all of the historic covered bridges in Missouri. The four covered bridges in Missouri are Burfordville Covered Bridge, which is near where I live in Southeast Missouri, Locust Creek Covered Bridge, Sandy Creek Covered Bridge, and Union Covered Bridge.

I found Rush crudely engraved in metal in one of the stone pillars at the entrance of the bridge.

I wonder if these stone pillars are built in the 1930's or so as that is what it looks like to me, and the bridge itself was built much later in 1980.

The pole says Toll Rule, Cow 1 cent, horse 2 cents, buggy 4 cents, wagon 5 cents.

The sign over the bridge says, "slow, don't rush in, don't rush out." Being the name of the bridge is E.D. Rush, this made me smile!

I have read a lot about the style of trusses at the old covered bridge historic sites, but I have no idea what type this bridge is. I feel I should know after all I supposedly learned!

We observed the covert over the main road of the creek and realized the water must really flow a lot under this bridge at time. I was not sure of the purpose of the bridge since there is another route to get to the house on the property not far away, other than it just looks really awesome. I did ponder the why though.