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Weddle (original location), Linn County

If you find errors in the data please contact Bill Caswell.

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Inventory Number: OR/37-22-05
County: Linn County
Township: Scio
Town/Village: Thomas Station
Bridge Name: Weddle (original location)
Crosses: Thomas Creek
Truss type: Howe
Spans: 1
Length: 120'
Roadway Width:
Built: 1937
Builder: Linn County
When Lost: 1987
Cause: Moved
Latitude: N44 41.43
Longitude: W122 56.28
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions:

Weddle Bridge (original location), Scio, Linn County, OR Built 1937 Moved 1987
Oregon Department of Transportation Photo

Weddle Bridge (original location), Scio, Linn County, OR Built 1937 Moved 1987
Ben Maxwell Collection, Salem Library

Weddle or Devaney Bridge (relocated), Sweet Home, Linn County, OR Built 1937 (1987)
Bill Caswell Photo, June 2006

Weddle Bridge (original location), Scio, Linn County, OR Built 1937 Moved 1987
Oregon Department of Transportation Photo

Comments:
8-panel truss. At its original location, the bridge was bypassed and closed to traffic in 1980. The bridge quickly deteriorated and was considered a safety hazard. By 1987, Linn County planned to demolish the bridge sparking protests by local covered bridge enthusiasts. With the help of Senator Mae Yih, the state legislature created the Oregon Covered Bridge Program to help fund repair and maintenance projects. The Weddle Bridge was the first recipient of a grant under the new program. It was removed from its original location in October 1987 and rebuilt at Sankey Park in Sweet Home in 1989.

Sources:
Cockrell, Bill & Nick. Roofs Over Rivers - the New Guide to Oregon's Covered Bridges, 1989
Cockrell, Nick & Bill. Roofs Over Rivers - A Guide to Oregon's Covered Bridges, 1978, page 70
Oregon Covered Bridge Society. Bridge Tender (The), 1979-present, Volume 11, No. 2, Summer 1990
National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. World Guide to Covered Bridges, 2009, page 94