Simply Put- "Yancey Bridge”

7/10/08

"Yancey Bridge"

This week’s Rollin’ Down The River features a portion of the river that includes Yancey Bridge. Of all the places on the Chipola River that I have spent time at or on, the Yancey Bridge area would have to be the most frequent. Having lived on the north side of Marianna for most of my 48 years, rarely does a day go by that I do not cross the bridge. On many days there are multiple crossings. It has always been my closest access to the River, so it stands to reason that it is a place where I have spent a lot of time.
My earliest memories of the Yancey Bridge area are the shark’s teeth my brother’s used to find there. While the shark’s teeth were fascinating, that dark water was a little too spooky looking for this little boy. Fortunately, that fear passed as I got a little older and I can remember going swimming there often. At one point someone put up a rope swing and that made for many fun afternoons during my teenage years. More than 30 years later there is still no better way to beat the heat of a hot summer day than by taking a dip in the cool waters of the Chipola. And I can’t count the number of times I have launched a boat, canoe or kayak from Yancey Bridge. Of course any time you frequent a place as often as I have Yancey Bridge not all memories will be fond ones. I recall when a family friend was killed on a motorcycle at Yancey Bridge. Some of the teenagers had taken to the dangerous habit of climbing the hill from the parking lot up to the road on their motorcycles. On one sad day this family friend topped the hill and was struck by an oncoming car.
At age 16 I was there on another horrible day when a childhood friend and football teammate of mine tragically drowned. The tears I shed that day were evidence of my first real encounter in the fragileness of life. To this day I do not go to the Yancey Bridge area without thinking of my childhood friend and teammate. While we got a new bridge a few years ago, I still like the old bridge. I’m still mad that they cut down a majestic old cypress tree in the project for, in my opinion, no good reason. The old bridge had more character and you could at least see the river from the bridge. The good news about the Yancey Bridge area is that the county has recently obtained the property. If Citizen’s Lodge Park is any indication, I’m sure that Chuck Hatcher and the gang at the County Parks & Recycling Department will give the area a much needed face life.
Simply Put, Yancey Bridge is like an old friend and I like to visit there often.

From the front porch: Coach said truth is a habit of integrity.