Yes indeed, one of "The Bridges of Madison County", made so famous by the book and the movie (seen by all women and one or two men), was a bridge on the farm of Joel Ernest Carman.  Originally the were 19 covered bridges in Madison County, Iowa, some have fallen do to age, all now being over 100 years old, and others, as a sign of the times, were burnt down after the bridges gained notoriety in the movie by vandals.  The final count is that there are only five remaining covered bridges. The bridge that was on Joel Ernest Carman's farm is believed to be the Imes covered bridge. The following is from the Madison County website:

"The Imes Covered Bridge - The oldest of the remaining covered bridges, Imes was built in 1870 and is 81 feet in length. It was originally located over the Middle River west of Patterson. In 1887 it was moved to a spot over Clinton Creek southwest of Hanley. Imes Bridge was moved again to its present site over a natural ravine just east of St. Charles in 1977. It was renovated in 1997 for a cost of $31,807. "

The granddaughter of Joel Ernest Carman, Tani, wrote me recently; "I remember climbing on the bridge as a child in the early 50s when visiting his sister Grace and her husband Walter Breeding who were living on the farm at the time.  He did not live there as a grownup, having gone to Simpson College (where, incidentally he established a Carman scholarship for residents of Madison County) where he met and married Gertrude Hancox."  

07/15/2007