LINN COUNTY COVERED BRIDGES
Oregon has the largest collection of covered bridges in the West and one of the largest in the nation.
The covered-bridge-building tradition in Oregon dates from the 1850s and was grown out of necessity with pioneers building them with the materials at hand. Douglas fir was abundant in western Oregon and well-suited to bridge construction. To increase their useful life, houses were constructed over the timber trusses to protect them from the damp western Oregon climate.
The heyday of covered bridge building in Oregon occurred between 1905 and 1925 when there were an estimated 600 covered bridges in the state. By 1977, this number had dwindled to 56. This focuses on covered bridges designed or built for vehicular traffic. Based on this criteria, Oregon currently has 51 covered bridges. www.covered-bridges.org
The covered-bridge-building tradition in Oregon dates from the 1850s and was grown out of necessity with pioneers building them with the materials at hand. Douglas fir was abundant in western Oregon and well-suited to bridge construction. To increase their useful life, houses were constructed over the timber trusses to protect them from the damp western Oregon climate.
The heyday of covered bridge building in Oregon occurred between 1905 and 1925 when there were an estimated 600 covered bridges in the state. By 1977, this number had dwindled to 56. This focuses on covered bridges designed or built for vehicular traffic. Based on this criteria, Oregon currently has 51 covered bridges. www.covered-bridges.org
The following covered bridges are located in Linn County (in and around Sweet Home, OR).
1. Weddle Covered Bridge
2. Short Covered Bridge
3. Crawfordsville Covered Bridge
4. Shimanek Covered Bridge
5. Larwood Covered Bridge
6. Hoffman Covered Bridge
7. Hannah Covered Bridge
8. Gilkey Covered Bridge
The Covered Bridge Society of Oregon
Oregon's 54 covered bridges: A road map to see them all
Covered Bridges- Travel Oregon
