On Fri, 28 May 2010 08:47:35 -0700, MNRebecca wrote:

UPDATE: Heard from a volunteer at the (very minimally staffed) local
historical society: "The farmer installed a bridge across the ditch so
he could move his machinery across to the adjoining field."

I have my doubts. I'll shoot it again, but I really don't think the
bridge is wide enough or the boards strong enough to support vehicle
traffic. And as of 2005, the farmer didn't own BOTH of the adjoining
sections (though that could have changed). Besides, the bridge is
halfway down the field without a barn or tractor storage shed in site.
Why not access your field closer to the paved road/barn/corner of field?

He also says the ditch system was installed AFTER the WPA era (1930s).
But that doesn't seem to mesh with the antiquated state and style of the
bridge.

RW

Then it is confirmed that it's an irrigation ditch system? Did he give a
better date on when it was dug than after the 30s? Or what government
agency did it?

Imo not much can be determined from the condition of the wood deck, other
than it not being used for anything heavy recently. The original deck
has long since rotted away. And, the bridge was not necessarily new when
it was place over the ditch; it could have been salvage.

Were it not for the fact that the bridge is so narrow, getting from one
field to another is a reasonable explanation. Farmers do sometimes share
equipment/work across property lines. And my grandfather's farm had a r-
o-w across a neighbor's property to get to another parcel he owned. What
a farmer of that era here did when faced with a small stream was drive
across it. I know nothing about irrigation ditches but by guess is there
are rules against that sort of thing.