Published October 22, 2024
A bit of history on display
Both decorative and utilitarian, these icons of bygone days still stand
in defiance of years of harsh weather and heavy use.
Darla and I stumbled upon three of Oregon’s 54 covered bridges as we made our way back home from our Northwest trip to Oregon’s Puget Sound and Washington’s rugged coast. Back in the mid-80s, we spent a lot of time searching out the covered bridges in New England, but it never occurred to me to look for them in Oregon!
Apparently, they are quite common there, even if we only found three.
Oregon’s 54 Covered Bridges : List & Map
The site linked below shows a photo of each of the 54 bridges, counting a couple of questionable examples..
I read a few books and guides that suggested covered bridges were built to allow for safe river and stream crossings ⏤ even following heavy snow storms. The enclosed nature of the bridges kept spooky horses calm as they made the crossing. Slipping off an icy, uncovered bridge could be deadly. Some also suggested the bridges were used as a gathering place for reunions, weddings, and local events.
Weddle Covered Bridge : Sweet Home, OR
The Weddle Bridge was the first covered bridge we came upon. I noticed a covered bridge on one of the painted wall murals as we drove through Sweet Home, OR. A few blocks later, I noticed a sign with an arrow pointing in the direction of the bridge. It was late in the evening, so we stayed in a motel overnight. Plaques in the bridged indicated the bridge had been moved to Sweet Home and was renovated with the assistace of several grants and a lot of volunteer time.
The Weddle Bridge is located in a beautiful city park. I got up early to catch the first glow of light hitting the covered bridge.
This is a beautifully restored bridge! It is no longer used for vehicular traffic.
Short Bridge
Finding a bridge with access to the river bottom is not easy. A lot of the bridges I visited in New England are surrounded on all sides by private property. This one had a path on the north side, with no visible “No Trespassing” signs. I love this view!
Short Bridge is still in use, spanning the South Fork of the Santiam River. The bridge is roughly 12 miles east of Sweet Home.
We parked on the south side, then milled around both ends of the bridge. The soft light of morning lit the interior.
The sign says this covered bridge was built in 1945.
Chitwood Bridge
The distinctive red Chitwood Bridge has solid siding with only small openings along the top to let light inside. Like the Short Bridge, this one is still being used for vehicular traffic. A sign along the highway directed us up a small two lane road to the bridge.
Built in 1926, the bridge spanned the Yaquina River at an elevation of 65 feet.
The sign says the covered bridge is 139 miles from Portland or 750 miles to San Francisco. As usually the case, there was no way to access the river bottom.
On our Northwest trip, Darla and I spent a lot of our time along the coastlines and sounds enjoying and exploring the oceanside way of life. Hopefully, on another trip, we can explore some of the other 51 Oregon covered bridges.