Jordan Covered Bridge, Oregon (Stayton-Jordan) (Salem Power Canal )
The Jordan Covered Bridge over Thomas Creek, Oregon. Picture taken by Ben Maxwell in 1946, part of the Salem Public Library Historic Photograph Collection
The Jordan Covered Bridge is apparently quite beloved by the community. The original bridge was a 90 foot long Howe truss bridge that crossed Thomas Creek right outside of what was the community of Jordan, Oregon. It was built in 1937 at a cost of $1850. The open sided design is unique to bridges in Linn County, Oregon. At the time a dam just downstream of the bridge provided power to the nearby city of Scio. The town of Jordan also had two mills, a general store, and most interesting of all, a cheese factory.
The Jordan Covered Bridge over Thomas Creek, Oregon. Picture taken by Ben Maxwell in 1946, part of the Salem Public Library Historic Photograph Collection
The bridge was removed in 1986 to be replaced with a concrete bridge. The dam was also removed, but the remains can still be seen where Jordan Road meets the Albany-Lyons Highway about halfway between Scio and Lyons. The City of Stayton requested the bridge to place in Pioneer Park to cross the Salem Power Canal to Wilderness Park. Volunteers with the help of the Marine Corps 6th Engineering Battalion (reserve) from Salem dismantled the bridge, moved it to pioneer park and started rebuilding it. Rebuilding was finished in 1988.
This view from the early 1960s shows the remains of the dam.
Unfortunately… on December 20th, 1994 the bridge caught on fire. Before the fire department could respond, the bridge was lost. The culprit turned out to be faulty wiring in Christmas Lights that had been installed on the bridge.
Luckily the city of Stayton had insured the bridge. They handed the money over to the Jordan Bridge Preservation society who rebuilt the bridge in a mere 18 weeks. The replacement bridge was renamed Stayton-Jordan and opened to the public on September 26, 1998.
Directions:
The Stayton-Jordan Covered Bridge is located in Pioneer Park in Stayton Oregon at 7th and Marion Streets.
The Stayton-Jordan Covered bridge is World Guide Number 37-24-02
It’s refreshing to learn about a community that was able to preserve something meaningful from the past. I’m from Philadelphia. We still have a covered bridge from 1737 within the city limits in the Wissahickon Valley Park. If you don’t mind me sharing a link here and if you’re interested, I have a photo of the bridge in this blog post: http://www.boomeresque.com/philadelphia-phriday-wissahickon-valley-park/
What a lovely piece of work! And a lovely story behind it. If only more pieces of our past could be preserved.
Great to see historic things that have outlived their usefulness can be preserved. There is historical value, I think. Looking back isn’t always bad…and it’s a beautiful bridge!
That’s a beautiful bridge in one of the most beautiful places in the country. And what a great story of the perseverance of a community. Thanks for bringing it to us!
I love the images. It’s been a very long time sense I’ve seen a covered bridge. I am from the east coast and these image brought back some great memories. Sadly, like to one that caught fire, there are many that are now gone for various reasons. It’s good to know that there are people who see the value of them and work towards their preservation. 🙂
The images in this post are great which go along with a beautiful story.
What a great story, and some fantastic photos. The bridge has such an interesting history. It’s great that they have rebuilt it time and again, and that it still retains that character and charm.
When the bridge was in it’s original location us kids would hangout and jump from the trusses into the deep pool of water below. Fond memories.