Pass Creek Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pass Creek Bridge |
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Pass Creek Covered Bridge in 2012
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| Coordinates | 43°39′38.8″N 123°18′59.5″W / 43.660778°N 123.316528°W |
| Crosses | Pass Creek |
| Locale | Drain, Oregon, United States |
| Maintained by | City of Drain |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Howe truss |
| Total length | 61 feet (19 m) |
| History | |
| Construction end | 1925 (1906); 1987 |
The Pass Creek Bridge is a special kind of bridge called a covered bridge. You can find it in the city of Drain, which is in Douglas County, Oregon. This bridge used to carry stagecoaches over Pass Creek.
In 1987, the bridge was moved a short distance from its first spot. It was put back together behind the Drain Civic Center. After that, people could walk across it. However, the bridge started to get old and worn out. So, in 2014, the city decided to close it completely. Pass Creek is a small river that flows into Elk Creek. Elk Creek then flows into the Umpqua River.
The History of Pass Creek Bridge
The official date for when the Pass Creek Bridge was built is 1925. But some people, like those from the Umpqua Historic Preservation Society, believe it was built earlier, in 1906. The Oregon Department of Transportation also mentions this earlier date.
Early Travel Routes
Even before this bridge, there was an even older bridge in the same spot. This older bridge was part of a route for covered wagons. This route was an extension of the Overland Trail. It opened in 1876 and connected Roseburg (inland) to Scottsburg (near the Oregon Coast).
Records from 1895 show that there was also a covered railroad bridge right next to the covered stagecoach bridge. This rail bridge was used by the Oregon and California Railroad. Later, the Southern Pacific company took over that railroad.
How the Bridge Changed Over Time
The 1925 bridge carried First Street over Pass Creek. This was a bit downstream from where the bridge is now, behind the civic center. By that time, the railroad bridge next to it was a steel truss bridge. That steel bridge had been built in 1906.
The 1925 Pass Creek Bridge was built using a special design called a Howe truss. It didn't have many fancy details or windows. However, it did have sides made of cedar wood. Some of its wooden beams were even hand-cut. These hand-cut timbers were probably reused from an even older bridge.
