West Paden, known to its many friends throughout the United States and designated as structure #79003179 on the National Register of Historic Places, passed away during a siege launched by Huntingdon Creek during the "No-Name Storm of Wednesday, June 28, 2006. West Paden, known to some as 38-19-12, was a 103 feet long Burr Arch bridge that was born, spent its formative years and resided all its life in the same location in Fishing Creek Township, east of Route 487 and a stone's throw east of Forks, off route 1020. West Paden was 122 years old. Death may have been caused by two cottages that were shaken from their foundations and found West Paden blocking their movement down the stream
West Paden entered this world in 1884, the handiwork of W. C. Pennington and named for John Paden, a sawmill operator who lived near the bridges. A sister bridge, known as East Paden and from time to time known as 38-19-11, is a Queen Truss bridge 79 feet long and has also been given a place of honor as structure #79003180 on the National Register of Historic Places. The two bridges stood in single file, both vital links in the crossing of the stream that from time to time is quite wide and wooly. West Paden had been originally painted from barn-red paint mixed using brick dust and coal-oil and stirred until ready for applying from a milk bucket. Both bridges had heavy planks where horses and buggies, teams, spooners, and loads of hay once raised clouds of dust as they rumbled through the hollow tunnels of the bridges. Carvings saying things like "Peter loves Mary" dotted the walls.
West Paden retired from public service on a Sunday afternoon in 1963, and suddenly the stream of slowly moving traffic the bridges had known for decades was behind--and beside--them. Cars lined the narrow approach roads and jammed the parking lot for the ceremony marking the retirement. Both West and East Paden were resplendent as newly refurnished bridges glistening in their new red paint, their metal roofing reflecting sunshine. Shaded from the harsh rays of the sun, a small dam had been hastily bulldozed two days before under West Paden to form a pool and a wading area for children.
West Paden quickly entered the world of picnic parties and tourists with cameras amid the diesel smoke of a visiting tour bus or the quiet arrival of a visiting family who simply wanted to see a "one of a kind." The glossy new red paint for the exterior of the bridge was an instant hit. As soon as West Paden retired from active duty, a County Park, known throughout the United States as the Twin Bridges County Park, was created.
Vehicular traffic from Zaners to Jonestown and points in between began using the new road, known as 1020, and the need for using the twin bridges for vehicular traffic was eliminated.
As the fame of West and East Paden grew and more and more people stopped to marvel at the two bridges, they became a focus for a recreation area. Weathered siding was ripped off leaving intact the mammoth beams which were framed together with oak pins toward the roof, heavy metal bolts farther down. A smooth flooring was installed. The flooring was now for picnic crowds, no longer intended to withstand vehicular traffic.
Stout barriers guarded both ends of the bridge and the interiors once reverberating to the clop-clop of horses' hooves suddenly resounded with childish laughter as families relaxed from their farm lives and spent a day in the shade while youngsters went skipping off down the steps to the graveled water's edge and the coolness of the shallow creek.
Life was good for West Padon until 2003 when on November 13 a devastating wind ripped through the upper Fishing Creek Valley and did extensive damage to the area. A tree that landed on one of the two twin bridges requiring replacement of the entire roof and the roof joists, and the cement and beams that hold the bridge needed structural modification.
