Undoubtedly the most impactful happenstance for the Village of Sheldon to absorb and eal with was the historic file of April 1932 that wiped out the bridge along with many businesses on both sides of the bridge.  Actually the bridge was not the source of the fire but its wooden structure certainly added to the spread and impact of the fire.  No photos recorded the event for posterity and few articles were written at the time.  Frederika Northrup attempted to memorialize the event in her writing.

An Historic Bridge Burns
By Frederika Northrop

“April 4th, 1932, Sheldon, Vermont.  Fire sweeps out the two stores, post office, barber shop, blacksmith’s shop, creamery, one house, old horse sheds and bridge”
Just another bit of newspaper print.  No I don’t suppose that sounds so all-fired important, but that old historic bridge is gone.  And from that news item to this I have not seen one little posie offering up its memory.
You see, it was like this.  It was back in the early days – we’re not too sure o the date, but it was still in the days of the aristocracy of physical strength, the the settlers on the banks  of Black Creek held an important session in the village store, and there the knights-of-nail-keg, and tobacco-juice-sharp-shooters concluded that as long as the Creek was there they would naturally need an adequate  and suitable bridge.” 

The full article can be seen on the link below.

Bridge Burns  From Sheldon Vermont by Dorothy Hemenway Ashton P  93.