Bridges Family

                                                  Jesse and Elmira Bridges.
Wirt Walton gave an address to celebrate the Centennial celebration, July 4th, 1876, at Winfield. He stated the following: “In June 1869, E. C. Manning assisted P. Y. Becker in erecting a claim cabin in the bend of the Walnut about two miles below Winfield.. This was the first building south and west of the river. On the same day they found encamped at the mouth of Posy creek, a Mr. and Mrs. Bridges and two or three men. Mrs. Bridges is the first white woman that is known to have crossed the Walnut in this county. She corresponded for some eastern paper at the time, and afterwards wrote the “Carriers Address” and other political effusions for the Traveler.”
The Vernon twp. census of 1874 show Jesse Bridges, age 63, and his wife, Elmira Bridges, age 33.