The Bridges of Lane County, Oregon

Though covered bridges are generally associated with New England, this Oregon county boasts 20 of them

Currin Bridge is notable for its quirky barn appearance. Maria Coulson

There are few spans with the allure and lore of covered bridges. Most of us associate them with New England, and with Iowa since the 1995 movie “The Bridges of Madison County.” Few people associate them with Oregon, or more to the point, Lane County. There are 54 preserved wooden covered bridges in Oregon—the largest number of any state west of the Mississippi River—and 20 of them are in the one county.

The romantic appeal of covered bridges is a modern phenomenon. The often-pastoral single spans transport city dwellers to a bygone era when the community structures were authentic works of art and craft.

Beyond the Imagination

Rugged pioneers armed with only hand tools began building covered bridges in Oregon during the mid-1800s. The heyday was between 1905 and 1925, when there were an estimated 450 in the Beaver State. The abundance of Douglas fir in the Northwest and the shortage of steel during the world wars ensured the continued construction of the bridges into the 1950s.