Mill City Trail - North Fork Santiam River Bridge
Description
This interesting structure is largely made of wrought iron, although some steel' reinforcement was added in 1919 when it was relocated to its present position.It was made by Phoenix Bridge Company in 1888 for the crossing of Gienega Creek south of San Jose, California, on the Southern Pacific Company Coast Line. The compression members are segmented wrought iron sections riveted together to form tubes. These sections are similar to the iron framework of the Washington Monument and the columns used to support the first elevated railways in New York City.
When the Southern Pacific Company abandoned the Mill City branch, they gave the bridge to the city. It is now decked over for a footpath.
(http://www.oregoncities.us/millcity/)
Facts
- Overview
- Pratt through truss bridge over North Fork Santiam River on Mill City Trail
- Location
- Mill City, Marion County, Oregon, and Linn County, Oregon
- Status
- Open to pedestrians
- History
- Built 1888 near San Jose, CA, Relocated to Mill City 1919.
- Builder
- - Phoenix Bridge Co. of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania (Fabricator)
- Railroad
- - Southern Pacific Railroad (SP)
- Design
- The North Santiam River Bridge is a well-preserved example of a Phoenix Bridge Company pin-connected through Pratt truss. The Pratt truss design has counter truss members in the middle two truss panels. The bridge also features the patented Phoenix Columns in the design.
The bridge is constructed primarily of wrought iron, but some steel reinforcements were added when the bridge was relocated to Mill City in 1919. - Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 120.0 ft.
Total length: 285.0 ft.
Deck width: 15.0 ft.
- Recognition
- Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on June 22, 2021
- Also called
- Mill City Railroad Bridge
North Santiam Railroad Bridge - Approximate latitude, longitude
- +44.75527, -122.47787 (decimal degrees)
44°45'19" N, 122°28'40" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 10/541326/4955896 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Mill City North
- Inventory numbers
- NRHP 100006686 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
BH 44848 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- January 20, 2023: New photos from Patrick Gurwell
- August 10, 2021: Updated by Nathan Holth: Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- February 19, 2016: New photos from Mike Garland
- April 25, 2010: New Street View added by Nathan Holth
- April 12, 2010: Added by Michael Goff
Sources
- Mike Goff - michael [dot] goff [at] hotmail [dot] com
- Nathan Holth
- Mike Garland - Rapier342 [at] comcast [dot] net
- Patrick Gurwell - pgurwell [at] gmail [dot] com
Comments
George,
I have some records for Southern Pacific trusses built between 1880 and the early 1900s. I will take a look and see what I can come up with and get back to you.
Most sources report that this bridge was originally erected over "Gienega Creek," south of San Jose. I am wondering where that information comes from, if only because there is no "Gienega Creek," in California (nor anywhere else that I can locate). There is a Cienega Creek, near Monterey, CA but I'm not convinced it ever would have required a 120-foot railroad bridge or that one was ever built. Any help would be appreciated!
Art,
I would guess they are talking about the Hayden Bridge. It is the only other Phoenix Column bridge in the state that I am aware of. Plus I know the owner is looking to remove their liability surrounding the structure. As for it being near Cottage Grove, the only thing I can say is on a global scale that statment is correct.
Mike
Great news for this bridge but it mentions that the other Phoenix Column bridge in "Cottage Grove" is being dismantled! Do they mean the Hayden Bridge?!?
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/stayton/201...
Great news for this bridge but it mentions that the other Phoenix Column bridge in "Cottage Grove" is being dismantled! Do they mean the Hayden Bridge?!?
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/stayton/201...
I FISHED & PLAYED UNDER THAT BRIDGE WHEN I WAS ABOUT 10 YRS OLD .1960
What a great set of pictures. I love these old Phoenix columns. Maybe these are more common back in the mid west but out here on the West Coast, not so many still stand.
Here are three examples in Northern California, all of which have been relocated at one time in their service. It seems to me, that two of the bridges below may have been in the same original span, I would love to know where and when.
http://bridgehunter.com/ca/mendocino/10C0046/
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/or/marion/bh44848/
George,
I looked into the bridge a little. I found a few locations that originally had 120' through trusses erected over them in the 1880s. However, none were Mill Creek or Gienega Creek.