Oregon's Covered Bridges

Rugged individuals armed with hand tools, sweat, and ambition began building covered bridges in Oregon during the mid-1850s. These bridge builders often camped out at remote sites, living off the land or contracting with local farmers for food. Early owners of covered bridges financed construction by charging tolls�3� for a sheep, 5� for a horse and rider, and 10� for a team of horses and wagon. In the early 20th century, the state provided standard bridge and truss designs to each county, ...