A small fire on the Hogback Bridge, caught in time before significant damage, brings to mind the vulnerability of a wooden bridge. Madison County once boasted 19 covered bridges. Today, that number has been reduced to six, all listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
   Pictured here is a view from inside the Hogback Bridge, built by Benton Jones and located just north of Winterset, Iowa. Hogback, an unusual name, refers to a limestone ridge that forms the western edge of North River Valley.
   The 1884 historic treasure was fully restored in 1992 and creates a picturesque frame for an Iowa cornfield. Corn is not only the top field crop in Iowa, but also in the United States. Corn production is more than twice that of any other crop. Iowa exports more than half its corn crop, with the Pacific Rim emerging as the fastest growing market for America's corn.

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