Oregons' Covered Bridges: Chambers Railroad Bridge, Cottage Grove, Oregon
Chambers Railroad Bridge
This is the reconstructed bridge rebuild from the original, and reopened in November 2011.
The Chambers Railroad Bridge is the only remaining covered railroad bridge in Oregon. It is believed to be the only remaining covered railroad bridge west of the Mississippi River. The Chambers Bridge is a Howe Truss bridge (see explanation of a Howe truss below).
The bridge was constructed in 1925 by lumberman J.H. Chambers to transport logs across the Coast Fork Willamette River to his sawmill on the east side of the bridge. The bridge was in operation from 1925 to 1951. In the 1950's the railroad was sold for scrap and the bridge was no longer used. The bridge was in private ownership until December 2006, when the City of Cottage Grove finally secured full ownership of the bridge. The bridge is listed on the National Historic Register (NRIS no.79002081).
Covered Bridges of Cottage Grove, Oregon
Cottage Grove covered bridge capital of Oregon. Highlighting the Covered Bridges in and around Cottage Grove, Oregon. Including more detailed discussion of the Chambers Covered Railroad Bridge. The Chambers Covered Railroad Bridge, originally built in 1925 is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the only remaining covered railroad bridge west of the Mississippi River, one of only 8 left in the United States. The restoration of the Chambers Railroad Bridge was completed in March 2012.
Visit cottagegrove.org/chambers.html for more information about the Chambers Covered Railroad Bridge.
cottagegrove.org
Chambers Historic Covered Bridge in Cottage Grove.mpg
Chambers Historic Covered Bridge in Cottage Grove
Moving the historic Chambers Covered Bridge
The Chambers Covered Railroad Bridge in Cottage Grove, Oregon was moved over the Coast Fork Willamette River onto the original piers. The historic bridge was reconstructed on the east bank of the river. The original bridge was built in 1925 and the City of Cottage Grove is restoring the bridge. Two fork lifts were pushing the bridge across the river. The steel beams will be removed and the bridge will rest on the original piers.
The Chambers Covered Railroad Bridge was built to bring timber by train into the Chambers Mill. The Chambers Covered Railroad bridge is the only remaining example of the covered railroad bridges that used to dot the Oregon countryside. The Chambers Covered Railroad Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Join us in Cottage Grove when the fully restored bridge is dedicated Saturday, December 3, 2011.
For more information about the bridge and the restoration project visit: cottagegrove.org/chambers.html.
Explore Covered Bridges and Beyond in Cottage Grove, Oregon
As you walk through the first of the six covered bridges in Cottage Grove, you will find yourself feeling the emotions of decades of the towns residents.
Romantic and nostalgic, beautiful, pastoral and quaint.
Historic Downtown, with the many building walls artistically-painted with Murals reminiscent of his era. But indeed they depict the history of Cottage Grove.
And then you'll discover that Beyond the Bridges, there are recreational activities that rival any found in the larger cities of Oregon. Whether you choose to explore the Covered Bridge route by bicycle or car, you'll find yourself breathing in the fresh air of the glorious scenery surrounding each bridge.
By bike, you'll ride the 38 miles of paved path designated as one of only two family-friendly paths in Oregon. The deep blue waters and tall trees of the slopes surrounding Dorena Lake will beckon you to stop along the way and drink in the beauty.
By car, you might drive the route that allows you to roll through a covered bridge and then continue to spectacular Brice Creek Falls to the southeast, or to the winery tasting rooms found in every direction outside of town. Or spend the day Geocaching the Territorial GeoTour Loop.
By now you've realized that there is just too much to do in one day and you've not yet enjoyed dining in one of the many fine restaurants or taken in a live performance at the local Cottage Theatre.
To remedy your desire to spend more time in Cottage Grove, find your way to lodge at Village Green Resort and Gardens (featuring over 14 acres of spectacular flora and fauna) and then spend the following day visiting Territorial Seed Company or maybe playing 18 holes at the city's beautiful Middlefield Golf Course.
Arrive by car (just off I-5) or by private aircraft, landing at the municipal airport and enjoy a town of annual festivals and historical museums. See artifacts from the area's gold mining years at the Bohemia Gold Mining Museum, visit the Oregon Aviation Historical Society's Museum or learn about the city's rich history at the Cottage Grove Museum. This is a city with a main street embellished with hanging flower baskets, shops with unique goods and friendly merchants who love this city and take pride in being residents.
Come to Cottage Grove, visit the Covered Bridges, and then explore beyond them to ride the routes, play in the lakes and waterfalls, and step back in time to enjoy the spirit of welcome we extend.
Dorena Covered Bridge
Drive through of Dorena Covered Bridge, possibly the only wooden bridge that replaced a steel bridge in Oregon
Oregons' Covered Bridges: Currin Bridge, Cottage Grove, Oregon (Row River)
The Currin Bridge is a Howe truss covered bridge near Cottage Grove, Oregon, United States. It crosses the Row River.
The Currin Bridge was built in 1925 to replace another bridge built in 1883. The lowest bid received by Lane County for construction of the bridge was $6,250, so the county decided to build the bridge on its own for $4,205, saving $2,495 of taxpayers' money. The bridge was named after an early pioneer family.
The Currin Bridge is the only bridge in Oregon that is painted two different colors. The Currin Bridge has white portals and red sides. It is one of seven covered bridges in the immediate area.
In 1979, Lane County completed a new concrete bridge nearby the Currin Bridge and closed the old bridge to traffic. The new bridge is only a few feet away from the Currin Bridge, which is still accessible by pedestrians. In 1987, the bridge had work done fumigating for insects and structural repair, and in the 1993-1995, the Oregon Covered Bridge Program of Lane County received a grant of $48,000 to restore the bridge. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
(Source: Wikipedia) /
A Day in Cottage Grove, Oregon
SOME COTTAGE GROVE FACTS FOR YA:
- In 1926, Buster Keaton's The General was filmed in Cottage Grove with a spectacular locomotive crash. The wrecked train became a minor tourist attraction until it was dismantled for scrap during WWII.
- Emperor of the North Pole (1973), Richochet River (1997) and parts of Animal House (1978) and Stand By Me (1986) were also filmed here.
- Chambers Railroad Bridge is the only existing covered railroad bridge west of the Mississippi River.
- Cottage Grove refers to itself as the Covered Bridge Capital of Oregon with six covered bridges near the city, despite the fact that a nearby city also has 6 covered bridges and ALSO calls itself this.
- As of our visit, they have over 20 murals.
- Centennial Covered Bridge is a replica bridge constructed from materials salvaged from dismantled bridges.
- It's pretty cute.
Music:
get into this social media gig:
Oregons' Covered Bridges: Goodpasture Bridge, near Vida, Oregon (McKenzie River)
The Goodpasture Bridge spans the McKenzie River near the community of Vida in Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is the second longest covered bridge and one of the most photographed covered bridges in the state. The Goodpasture Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Lane County was the first Oregon county to build covered bridges on a large scale. Today, the county has more surviving covered bridges than any other county west of the Mississippi River, with a total of 17 bridges, including 14 that are still open to traffic. The county's engineering division maintains the covered bridges that are open to traffic, including the Goodpasture Bridge.
The Goodpasture Bridge was built in 1938, and cost $13,154 to construct. It was named for Benjamin Franklin Goodpasture, a pioneer farmer who had settled near the bridge site. The bridge crosses the McKenzie River two miles west of the community of Vida. At 165 feet (50 m) long, it the second longest covered bridge in Oregon.Because of its unique scenic beauty and its importance to Oregon's transportation history, the Goodpasture Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Over time, bridge traffic significantly weakened the structure. In 1987, Lane County officials decided to restore the original covered bridge instead of bypassing it with a modern concrete span. The county spent $750,000 to renovate the bridge structure, road surface, and approaches. The project also added a right-turn lane for traffic exiting Oregon Route 126 onto the bridge, and built a concrete retaining wall along the north bank of the McKenzie River to stabilize the area. Today, the Goodpasture Bridge handles a normal load of traffic including logging trucks.
In 2005, the Lane County Public Works Department began issuing a series of 17 commemorative coins to honor the county's covered bridges. Income from coin sales is used to help maintain the historic bridges. The first coin, struck in the fall of 2005, honored the Goodpasture Bridge. The remaining sixteen coins are being released at a rate of two per year through 2013.
In 2010, Lane County reported receiving $2 million in a federal transportation grant to repair the bridge and raise its derated load limit from 15 short tons back to 40 short tons beginning in 2012.
(Source: Wikipedia :
For more info:
Dorena Covered Bridge !
One of many covered bridges in Oregon. Dorena was built in 1949. Located near Dorena, Oregon.
Walking The Dorena Covered Bridge !
Built in 1949 and located over the Row River near Cottage Grove, Oregon. One of seven in the Cottage Grove Area.
Oregon Bridges: Spanning the State
Best viewed at 720p HD image quality. This Oregon State Archives video displays 40 evocative bridge scenes from around Oregon. Copyright © 2013. Images: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives; Music: John Hanske.
Browse and purchase 300 dpi TIFF copies of any of nearly 5,000 scenic images from every corner of Oregon:
Scio Oregon Covered Bridges
Scio Oregon Linn County Albany Covered Bridges
Covered Bridge, West Fir, Oregon
Saw this old bridge near Oakridge, Oregon.
Walking The Chambers RR Covered Bridge ! (2)
Built in 1925 and rebuilt in 2011 as a pedestrian covered bridge. Last RR covered bridge in Oregon and last West of the Mississippi River. Located in Cottage Grove, Oregon.
Cottage Grove Oregon Armory - Building Bridges
The Cottage Grove Oregon Armory was built in 1931 and used for 80 years by the Oregon National Guard. In February, 2009 the Oregon National Guard left the building. The City of Cottage Grove purchased the Armory in September 2010 and is seeking funding to pursue renovations. The City has successfully had the Cottage Grove Armory listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The City has started efforts to restore this historic building for community use with the first work being the repair of 35 of the beautiful windows in the building through a State of Oregon Parks Grant. The City is seeking other grant and funding opportunities to continue the repairs. For more information and to get involved visit cottagegrove.org.
Goodpasture Covered Bridge - off the McKenzie River in Oregon
The Goodpasture Bridge was built in 1938 and is one of the most beautiful and most photographed covered bridges in the state.
1032 S 1st Street Cottage Grove Oregon 97424 Open House
Come See us this Saturday (4/30/2016) from 11-3 at 1032 S. 1st Street in Cottage Grove, OR 97424. We're offering a raffle drawing for a $50 gift certificate to Buster's Main Street Café in Cottage Grove. Please call or text Matt Doyle at (541) 844-8177 for more info. You may also text the code ERG1 to the number 88000 for instant pics and info!
Have you ever gone into a neighborhood to preview a house and said to yourself, Oh, I hope it's THAT house!? Well, this is THAT house! Award winning front yard landscaping. Fantastic kitchen features two pantries, built in desk, gas range and open to living areas. Oversized bedrooms, large deck for entertainment, dog-run, storage area and more. Home warranty. Near Row River, Cottage Grove High School and Chambers RR Covered Bridge.
Drain Oregon Covered Bridge
Not wearing my glasses, going for a still, but got a short (very Short) movie.
Cottage Grove, Oregon
Cottage Grove, Oregon, by Wikipedia / CC BY SA 3.0
Cottage Grove, Oregon
Cottage Grove is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. The population was 9,686 at the 2010 census. Cottage Grove is the third largest city in Lane County. The city is located on Interstate 5, Oregon Route 99, and the main Willamette Valley line of the Union Pacific railroad.
Cottage Grove post office was established in 1855 east of present-day Creswell. The office was named by its first postmaster, G. C. Pearce, whose home was in an oak grove. In 1861, the office was moved to the present site of Saginaw. In the late 1860s, the office was moved to what is now the extreme southwestern part of present-day Cottage Grove, on the west bank of the Coast Fork Willamette River. When the Southern Pacific railroad was built through the area in the 1870s, Cottage Grove station was placed more than half a mile northeast of the post office, on the east side of the river. This was the start of a neighborhood dispute that lasted for nearly 20 years. The people living near the post office did not want it moved to the railroad station, so a new office was established at the station with the name Lemati, which is a Chinook Jargon word that means mountain. Lemati office ran from November 1893 to September 1894, but in March 1898 the Cottage Grove office was renamed Lemati and it ran that way until being permanently renamed Cottage Grove in May 1898.
The only existing covered railroad bridge west of the Mississippi River, the National Register of Historic Places-listed Chambers Railroad Bridge, is in Cottage Grove. The City of Cottage Grove restored the bridge in 2011, reopening it on December 3.
Cottage Grove has been awarded the All-America City Award by the National Civic League twice, in 1968 and 2004. Cottage Grove has been recognized as a Tree City USA by The Arbor Day Foundation for over a decade. In October 2008, Cottage Grove was also the 17th ci...