In southern Wells County, there’s a spot where five old roads come together. It’s home to a pair of intriguing old structures: a two-story schoolhouse and a surprising old truss bridge.
The Five Points school was built in 18761. In those days, the building’s first level was home to a classroom while its second was first home to a Grange Hall. Later, the upper story was used as the headquarters of an organization called the Chester-Jackson Horse Thief Detective Association2! You’ll find the school just west of the clumsy crossroads where County Road 1100-South, Jeff Road, and County Road 510-West all converge. Three roads makes Five Points out here, and the community that took its name is just a stone’s throw from the Salamonie River.
I’ve written about the Five Points schoolhouse before, but I never covered the truss bridge. Fortunately, a recent trip to the area allowed time to park the car, hop out, and snap some pictures. The bridge is said to have been built around 19053. Articles in the Muncie Evening Press refer to a 1928 bond issuance to build a new, $26,000 crossing at Five Points4, but none appear to have been sold5.
The Five Points Bridge is an eight-panel riveted Camelback through truss that spans 146 feet across the river6. The deck is 15.7 feet wide, and the through truss gives sixteen feet of vertical clearance. Like most truss bridges, there’s not enough room for a passing car.
That wasn’t an issue when I was there since the welcome wagon simply consisted of a pair of friendly dogs on the opposite side. Still, I can only imagine how busy the Five Points Bridge must’ve been when it was first built! Back then, the roads and crossings linked the Wells County villages of Keystone and Jeff to Montpelier, where Blackford County’s first successful oil well helped ignite the region’s gas boom7.
Montpelier’s still hanging on, but Jeff and Keystone are little more than specks on the map these days. Maybe that’s part of the reason the Five Points Bridge is still standing. Without heavy traffic, it’s been spared the wear and tear that dooms so many other old truss bridges. Fortunately, being off the beaten path hasn’t meant being forgotten. The Five Points Bridge was rehabbed back in 1980, and its deck received some attention again in 20188.
These days, the Five Points Bridge is one of five truss crossings that remain in Wells County9. Much like the schoolhouse it neighbors, the bridge is a survivor! Both structures’ continued presence offers not only a glimpse into the past but also the chance to honor the craftsmanship and spirit that defined the Five Points community. Both are well worth a visit.
Sources Cited
1 Routledge, R. (2005, September 18). Old school now teaches history. The Muncie Star Press. p. 23.
2 (See footnote 2).
3 Historic Bridge (2009). SHAARD [Indianapolis]. Web. Retrieved June 15, 2025..
4 Award Contract For New Detention Home (1928, August 7). The Muncie Evening Press. p. 9.
5 Sell Bridge Bonds (1928, October 15). The Muncie Evening Press. p. 6.
6 Five Points Bridge (n.d.) Bridge Hunter. Web. Retriebed June 15, 2025.
7 Blatchley, W.S. (1897). Indiana Department of Geology and Natural Resources, Twenty-First Annual Report (1896). Indiana Department of Geology and Natural Resources [Indianapolis]. Book.
8 (See footnote 6).
9 (See footnote 3).
