Currin’s Bridge

With the Oregon Covered Bridge Festival happening in Cottage Grove this weekend, I thought it would be fun to explore the history of one of our local bridges, though admittedly, I don't know if it was ever covered. At the turn of the previous century, the Bohemia Mining District was booming and a railroad was …

Siuslaw Interpretive Center: Florence

The next time you are in Old Town Florence, head to the west end of Bay Street and enjoy the new Siuslaw Interpretive Center. We've been watching this new park being developed for the past couple years, and during my last visit to Florence I discovered that the interpretive signs have finally been installed. Though …

Stayton-Jordan Covered Bridge

The Jordan Covered Bridge began life in 1937 straddling Thomas Creek east of Scio in Linn County. It looked like many covered bridges built at that time by Linn County, with its sides open to expose the trusses. This design feature increased light in the bridge, improved visibility for motorists, offered less wind resistance, and …

Umpqua River Boardwalk: Reedsport

I’ve often been curious about the riverfront in Reedsport. From my perspective, it has always seemed like a lost opportunity; really, you would hardly know that Reedsport was on a river if you didn’t cross it on your way out of town. In the past, our forays down to the river to explore have only …

Lowell Covered Bridge and Interpretive Center

Several years ago, as we were coming home down Highway 58, we needed to stop a minute and stretch our legs. We pulled into the parking lot at the Lowell Covered Bridge expecting to just walk around and view the bridge. We were surprised to find a wonderful little wayside and Interpretive Center. Since then, …

Cushman Railroad Bridge

I love catching sight of the Cushman railroad bridge when we head to Florence on Highway 126. Almost a century old, I think it is one of several iconic sights on that route to the coast. The steel bridge crosses the lower Siuslaw estuary about three miles east of the Pacific Ocean, and as a “swing bridge,” it is able …

Pass Creek Covered Bridge: Drain, Oregon

We drive through Drain on a fairly regular basis as we like to take this route to get to the coast. Sometimes a stop at Drain's Civic Center to walk through the Pass Creek Covered Bridge (also called the “Krewson Covered Bridge”) is just the ticket. I know from experience, though, that this covered bridge – painted brown …

The ones we lost: Local covered bridges that are no more

There used to be over 600 covered bridges in the state of Oregon, as of now, less than 10% are left; fortunately, six awesome examples are located in or around Cottage Grove. With the annual Oregon Covered Bridge Festival happening October 5 in Cottage Grove, I thought it would be nice to feature some of …

Currin Covered Bridge

Located just three miles east of Cottage Grove, the Currin Covered Bridge was constructed in 1925 by county employees. Used for just over 50 years, it was replaced in 1979 by a concrete span which runs beside it. Luckily for us, the Currin Covered Bridge was rehabilitated in 1995 and it is open to pedestrians. The …

Larwood Covered Bridge: Linn County

Built in 1939, the Larwood Covered Bridge spans Crabtree Creek in rural Linn County where the community of Larwood once stood. At 105 feet long, this covered bridge is typical of the bridges in the area with its partially exposed trusses and rounded portal. I also note that most of the Linn County covered bridges, …