Oregon Covered Bridges Part 2
This is Part 2 of my Oregon Covered Bridges tour. Rugged pioneers armed with only hand tools, sweat and ambition began building covered bridges in Oregon during the mid-1850's. They often camped out at remote sites, living off the land or contracting with local farmers for food. Early covered bridge owners often financed construction by charging tolls: 3 cents for a sheep, 5 cents for a horse and rider.
In the early 20th century, the state provided standard bridge designs to each county, most of these structures incorporated the Howe truss. The abundance of Douglas Fir and the shortage of steel during the world wars continued construction of covered bridges well into the 1950's.
A wooden bridge was covered to keep the huge truss timbers dry. A covered bridge could last 80 years or more, while an uncovered bridge would deteriorate in about nine years. In Oregon, legislation was established in 1987 to help fund preservation of these rich links to our past and heritage.
If your interested in doing the Oregon Covered Bridge tour this is the link for the map I used:
Lost Creek Covered Bridge is 39 feet long and originally built in 1919. Since 1979, the bridge has been closed to traffic with a concrete bridge handling the few vehicles each day. Many Jackson County residents, including Shirley Stone, daughter of pioneer John Walch, claim the Lost Creek Bridge to have been built as early as 1878-1881. If authenticated, this would make it Oregon's oldest standing covered bridge.
There have been numerous rebuilds since 1919 and the bridge was nearly lost in the 1964 Christmas flood. As swirling waters and heavy debris lashed at its piers. Residents and concerned bridge enthusiasts prayed during the night that the bridge would be saved. You could say their prayers were answered because the bridge was saved.
Adjacent to the bridge is the Walch Family Wayside Park. Descendants of pioneer settlers John and Marie Newsome Walch built and maintain the park, which includes picnic tables, a bandstand, flower gardens, and other amenities.
Goodpasture Bridge was built in 1938 and is Oregon's second longest covered bridge measuring 165 feet. It is also Oregon's most frequently photographed covered bridge. It was named for Benjamin Franklin Goodpasture, a pioneer farmer in the vicinity.
In 1987, the bridge was failing under the heavy traffic load. But instead of bypassing the historic bridge with a new concrete and steel bridge - like had been done at so many other covered bridge crossings - the county invested $750,000 to renovate the original structure.
In 2005, Goodpasture Bridge was the first featured covered bridge in a series of commemorative coins released to raise maintenance funds.
Belknap Covered Bridge was built in 1890 and is 120 feet long. The Belknap Covered Bridge, sometimes called the McKenzie River Bridge, has persisted through several generations of bridges at the same location. The nearby town of McKenzie Bridge was named for its proximity to the bridge.
Rollin S. Belknap, an early pioneer settler, discovered hot springs approximately nine miles upstream from the bridge. His family was influential in developing the area, and the bridge took on the family name. The bridge was replaced in 1911 (second bridge), replaced in 1939 (third bridge), and again replaced in 1966 (current bridge) It has also been repaired in 1975, 1992, 2002, and 2014.
Neal Lane Covered Bridge also known as the South Myrtle Creek Bridge was built in 1939 for $1,000 and is 42 feet long.
The site at Myrtle Creek was originally settled in 1851. It was sold to John Hall in 1862, who established the town in 1865. The name Myrtle Creek was in recognition of the nearby groves of Oregon Myrtle,
Hayden Covered Bridge was constructed in 1918, the 91-foot bridge is one of only seven remaining covered bridges in Oregon that were built before 1920. This bridge is also known as the Alsea River Covered Bridge.
Alsea was a river community as early as 1850, known as Alseya Settlement. The name is derived from the name of an Native American Tribe living at the mouth of the river, originally pronounced in three syllables.
The bridge was either partly or completely rebuilt in 1945 and no one seems to agree on which one was done.. Changes included larger and less rounded bridge portals that could accommodate larger vehicles. Narrow openings under the side-wall eaves on both sides of the span illuminated the interior. The bridge, repaired again in 2003, required further work in 2006 after a logging truck crashed into it.
Milo Academy Covered Bridge was built in 1962 and spans 100 feet to cross the South Umpqua River. The bridge is actually made of steel, with a housing of wood. The structure was built to replace an original covered wooden bridge from 1920. The bridge provides access to the Milo Academy boarding school.
The bridge is privately owned and maintained by the Seventh Day Adventist Church. The area was settled prior to the 1880s and the post office was established in 1884. Originally known as Perdue, the name was changed to Milo in 1923 when a community member suggested it be named Milo after her husband's birthplace in Maine.
The Milo Academy Bridge is one of only two covered bridges which do not have a timber truss support.
Wildcat Creek Bridge was built in 1925 and is 75 feet long. The bridge was part of Stagecoach Road, the original route to the coast. In the 1930s, both the road and the bridge were bypassed by the Linslaw Tunnel and the Mapleton Bridge.
The bridge was closed for repairs several times in the 1980s and in the autumn of 2000, when the structure was strengthened.
Yachats Covered Bridge was built in 1938 and is 42 feet long. The weight limit on the bridge is ten tons; large trucks and recreational vehicles (RV)s are not allowed over the bridge. After an accident damaged the bridge in 1987, county crews repaired it. They returned in 1989 for a more complete renovation, including new trusses, approaches, a new roof and new siding.
There is a vehicle turnaround area on far side of the bridge, but traffic is not allowed beyond the private gate.
Lake Creek Bridge also known as Nelson Creek Bridge as some call it, was built in 1928 and is 105 feet long.
During the summer of 1984, the Lake Creek structure received a major overhaul. After adding a new center pier, contractors replaced the wooden flooring with pre-cast concrete slab decking. Because the concrete flooring and center pier do not support the trusses, the intricate job of installing them required use of a crane to slide them into place. Wooden abutments and wooden trestle approaches were also replaced with reinforced concrete materials.
Portal boards on both ends were replaced in the late 1970s after they had been broken by the high loads of log trucks. A new coat of white paint was added to the structure after the reconstruction project was completed.
Grave Creek Bridge was built in 1920 and is 105 feet long. When Interstate 5 was built nearby, ownership and maintenance of the Sunny Valley Loop Road, which includes Grave Creek Bridge, passed to Josephine County. In the late 1990s, the bridge was closed to traffic and was reopened in 2001 after repairs to the approaches and housing. Features of the wooden structure include six gothic style windows on either side, concrete abutments, a Howe truss, rounded portals and a shake roof.
Pass Creek Covered Bridge was originally built in 1906. The 61-foot bridge was replaced in 1989, and it was moved a short distance downstream and rebuilt as a footbridge. It originally carried stagecoaches over Pass Creek before being moved.
Due to the severe decay in the southeast corner of the bridge, the bridge cannot safely support any pedestrian traffic. Therefore, it was recommend that the bridge be closed immediately until it is further reinforced, rehabilitated, or replaced. The city is looking for funding to restore the bridge to pedestrian traffic.
Antelope Creek Bridge also known as Bridge 202, was originally located at Antelope Creek. This covered bridge was built in 1922 and relocated by the citizens of Eagle Point to its current location in 1987. It is 58 feet long and it was originally used by vehicles but because of major repairs it is currently a pedestrian bridge only.
Rochester Covered Bridge is 80 feet long and there is a lot of debate as to when it was originally built. The majority of records say the bridge was built in 1933 but Oregon's Covered Bridges includes a photograph of an earlier bridge here "at the end of its useful life". The photo caption says that the age of construction of the earlier bridge is not known but that some records show a covered bridge at this site as early as 1862.
The design of this bridge is unique among Oregon Covered Bridges because it features windows having curved tops.
Sandy Creek Covered Bridge was built in 1921 and a newer Bridge in 1945 carried traffic on Oregon Highway 42 until it was bypassed in 1949. The 60-foot bridge was considered short in comparison to other covered bridges built on Oregon highways.
An additional aspect of the bridge is the use of large-framed windows on both sides of the structure, maximizing the illumination of the bridge interior. In late 1981, a plan was developed to make a park at the bridge and use the old wooden structure as a covered picnic site. The Myrtle Point Lions Club adopted the bridge as a major project.
Work at the site began in 1982 and included a new roof, replacing boards and structural pieces, clearing brush and applying a coat of white paint. The park was dedicated in 1984 and now includes a tourist information center at the bridge site. Sandy Creek Covered Bridge has been recently restored for use as a unique park and wayside rest area. Recreational activities include picnicking and viewing the last covered bridge in Coos County.
Horse Creek Covered Bridge was built in 1930 and is 110 feet long. The bridge originated in Lane County, where is crossed the McKenzie River. Closed to vehicle crossing since 1968, this bridge found a new life in 1990 when it was disassembled and moved to its current site in Myrtle Creek's Mill Site Park, where it is used as a footbridge. The bridge is also known as Myrtle Creek Bridge.
McKee Bridge was built in 1917 and is 122 feet long. Built on land donated by Adelbert (Deb) McKee, a stage station operator, the bridge originally carried a road over the Applegate River that linked the Blue Ledge Copper Mine to Jacksonville Oregon. The site originally included an ore-hauler rest stop, about halfway between the mine and the city, where relief horses were stationed. The bridge carried mining and logging traffic from the year of its construction, 1917, through 1956. An unincorporated community, McKee Bridge, is near the bridge.
Closed completely for three years because of rot in structural components as well as damage to the roof, the bridge reopened in June 2015 after major renovations.
Cavitt Creek Covered Bridge also known as Little River Bridge is 70 feet long and built in 1940. The area surrounding the bridge site was settled in the early 1880's and named for Robert Cavitt, who settled on a tributary of Little River. The bridge is a little more than a mile upstream of the small community of Peel Oregon.
The design features Tudor arch portals to accommodate heavy log truck usage, and the upper and lower chords utilize raw logs as its members. Each side of the roofed structure sports three windows, and long narrow slits above each truss allow "daylighting" as well as ventilation for the bridge interior. The bridge has a metal roof and a floor with longitudinal running planks. The covered structure sits on concrete piers.
Deadwood Covered Bridge is 105 feet long and was built in 1932. the bridge was built on a curve and features deliberately slanted floorboards designed to improve motorist safety. The bridge lies upstream of the rural community of Deadwood Oregon.
In the 70s the covered bridge was bypassed with a concrete bridge just half a mile away that incorporated a more direct route. Functionally obsolete except as a wayside detour, Deadwood Bridge was neglected. Without maintenance over time the bridge became extremely dilapidated. In 1986, Lane County overhauled the Deadwood Bridge by replacing the siding, flooring and portals. The bracing, roof and approaches were also repaired. Its original semi-elliptical portals were changed to Tudor arch during restoration.
This is one I wanted to mention and I came across while doing some research. The Blair Covered Bridge was built in 1906 and lasted into the 1940s. The bridge was located just south/southwest of Buell Oregon on the old Military Highway between Fort Yamhill and Dallas.
I came across this bridge in a book I bought on Amazon called Roofs over rivers: A guide to Oregon's covered bridges. It was written by Nick Cockrell in 1978 and is a great book. Thank you Alyssa Chandler for recommending this book.
This picture was taken from the State Library of Oregon Digital Collection.
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