Built in 1997 by the Friends of Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge, Gaddy Covered Bridge is a highlight in the park. Though it’s not an historical bridge, it does have historical meaning.
Named after Lockhart and Hazel Gaddy, the bridge commemorates the large role they played in the founding of the refuge.
Once an avid goose hunter, Lockhart Gaddy developed a fondness of the creatures. In the fall of 1934, he used four live decoys to attract wild geese to his one acre pond. To his surprise it attracted nine geese that first year.
He kept at it, and by the early 1950’s Lockhart Gaddy’s Wild Goose Refuge had over 10,000 wintering Canada geese, 1,000 wild ducks, and visitors coming from around the world see them.
Lockhart passed in 1953, but his wife Hazel kept the refuge open until her passing in 1972.
Today, the pond is on private land and closed to the public. However, their grand-nephew manages a Facebook page in their memory. I recommend reading his post from December 16, 2018 on his granduncle’s passing and funeral. The connection between Lockhart Gaddy and the geese is fascinating.