Turn left and travel to the end of the bridge abutment of the former Van Reed's Covered Bridge. Here, until 1964, a 144 foot single-spanned covered bridge crossed the Tulpehocken Creek. In 1959, the bridge was damaged when a 5 1/2 ton tractor trailer loaded with 16 tons of shingles crashed through the 4 ton limit bridge.

Across the creek is the land originally settled by the Van Reed family around the time of the Revolutionary War. They owned and operated one of the oldest paper mill industries in the County of Berks. In past history, the Van Reeds were owners of three paper mills, a fulling (wool) mill, a sawmill, and a Union Canal warehouse, all of which were located in this immediate vicinity along the banks of the Tulpehocken and Cacoosing Creeks.

Intro | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

Union Canal Bicycle & Walking Trail