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MEHAMA
North Santiam River
____ - 1881 ; 1887 - 1920 ; 1920 - 1932
January 28, 1881: "Further particulars from the flood.---The bridge at Mehama, on the North Santiam, was also carried away." (The State Rights Democrat)
June 11, 1887: "For some years residents near Mehama have been endeavoring to secure favorable action by both the Marion county and Linn county commissioners' courts in ordering the construction of a bridge across the Santiam at that place. There was a bridge across the river at that point once, but it washed out years ago, and no definite steps toward building one have been taken since. The Marion county court has been willing to build one, but Linn county hitherto has refused to contribute her share. A day or two since, however, the court adjourned to Mehama to view the site of the proposed bridge, and expected to meet the Marion county commissioners there. The latter, however, went down to Champoeg yesterday on bridge business. It is hoped that Linn county can be brought to see the need of a bridge at Mehama, and contribute toward its construction." (Statesman Journal)
June 27, 1887: "Notice is hereby given that bids will be received for the repairing of a 240 foot span, on the Mehama bridge, between Marion and Linn counties, a combination bridge. All wood work above bottom chord to be new, except stringers and flooring. All bids must be filed in the office of the county clerk of Marion county, Oregon, on or before July 9, 1897, at 9 o'clock a.m. The right to reject any and all bids is hereby expressly reserved. Bridge must be finished on or before October 1, 1887." L.V. Ehlen, Clerk." (Statesman Journal)
September 2, 1887: "On Thursday morning active work was begun on the Mehama bridge by the Pacific Bridge company. About 15,000 feet of lumber have been hauled to the Linn county side, from which bank the bridge will be built, and the piling for the false work is on the ground. The remainder of the lumber will be hauled this week. Workmen have begun to make preparations for the construction of the false work, and the work will be pushed through in a hurry. It is expected that the bridge will be entirely completed in a few weeks after the iron work is taken to the scene of construction, ready to be put in position, which will be in a short time." (Weekly Oregon Statesman)
November 4, 1887: "The Mehama bridge now joins the banks of both Linn and Marion counties. A few days more and the citizens of this vicinity will be no longer compelled to search the lower end of their jeans pockets for a dime. Although but few hands have been employed, work has been progressing quite rapidly." (Weekly Oregon Statesman)
November 11, 1887: "County Judge Shaw and Commissioners Terrel and Warren, who met in regular monthly session of commissions' court, yesterday, will leave this morning for Mehama, where they will meet the Linn county commissioners' court, for the purpose of accepting the Mehama bridge. This bridge, as is well known, is located across the Santiam at Mehama. Its construction was begun by the Pacific Bridge company about six weeks since, and the work was finished several days ago. The bridge is 518 feet in length from end to end. It contains two spans, of 238 1/3 feet and 110 feet respectively, and two approaches, one 153 and the other 20 feet long. It is twenty feet above water. The structure was built at the joint expense of Linn and Marion counties, and cost about $14,000. So well satisfied were the contractors that the bridge would be accepted, they threw it open to travel before the time of formal acceptance, and teams and passengers have been crossing all this week. The commissions will no doubt receive the bridge." (Weekly Oregon Journal)
October 4, 1888: "Pacific Bridge Co. ordered to tighten up Mehama bridge as per bid for $50." (Albany Daily Democrat)
November 30, 1895: "A tree broke and fell on the bridge at this place and carried down the span on Linn county side. It is claimed that the wind, which was very strong, blew it down.
The span is 110 feet long, combination of iron and wood, built in 1887. The timbers are very rotten and the span standing is in bad condition." (Daily Capital Journal)
December 17, 1895: "County Judge W.C. Hubbard returned Sunday morning from Mehama, where he had been over Saturday to inspect the Santiam bridge with Judge Duncan, of Linn county. Reports had been sent to these officials that the main span of the structure was in a weak condition and unsafe for travel. This proved to be true as the judges found the needle beams badly rotted in several places and discovered other defects that compelled them to pronounce it 'closed' for the present. The work rebuilding that portion of the approach on the Linn county side, damaged by a wind storm Thanksgiving morning, is progressing favorably and that portion will be as good as new in a very short time. An order was placed with a neighboring sawmill for new beams and the contract for reconstruction of the large span will be let, probably, today." (Statesman Journal)
December 20, 1895: "County Judge Hubbard has let the contract for putting new needle neams under the Mehama bridge to C.F. Royal. Mr. Royal bid against several Linn county contractors and will have the bridge open for travel by January 1st. The total cost will be about $120 and Mr. Royal will do a good job." (Daily Capital Journal)
December 21, 1895: "The Mehama bridge --- The contract for the work of placing new needle beams in the main span of the Mehama bridge was, yesterday, awarded to C.F. Royal, of this city, his bid being $120. He will proceed with the work at once and expects to have the structure ready to again be used by the traveling public by the 1st of January. The repairs to the short span, which was damaged by a storm on Thanksgiving day, are about completed." (Statesman Journal)
June 18, 1897: "Notice is hereby given that bids will be received for the repairing of a 240 foot span, on the Mehama bridge, between Marion and Linn counties, a combination bridge. All wood work above bottom chord to be new, except stringers and flooring. All bids must be filed in the office of the county clerk of Marion county, Oregon, on ot before July 9, 1897, at 9 o.clock a.m. The right to reject any and all bids is hereby expressly reserved. Bridge must be finished on or before October 1, 1897. L.V. Ehlen, Clerk." (Statesman Journal)
July 29, 1897: "In the matter of letting the contract for repairing Mehama bridge. R.M. Gilbert awarded contract, bond fixed at $1,000. In the event R.M. Gilbert should fail to execute contract and file bond same is to let to J.E. McCoy, the next lowest bidder." (Statesman Journal)
September 21, 1897: "Work on the Mehama bridge is progressing under the supervision of R.M. Gilbert, the contractor, and it is expected that it will be completed about tomorrow or Thursday. The entire upper works are being rebuilt." (Statesman Journal)
September 6, 1888: "County Court Proceedings: County Clerk instructed to compare with the County Judge of Marion with regard to repairing Mehama bridge." (Albany Daily Democrat)
March 24, 1905: "The south span of the Mehama bridge is showing signs of decay and will have to be rebuilt this fall." (Albany Democrat)
February 2, 1906: "This morning Judge Steward was telephoned by the Marion County authorities that the large bridge crossing the North Santiam at Mehama was in danger from the high water. Commissioner Needham, of Marion county and Judge Stewart and commissioner Butler will go up to-morrow morning and look into the matter. The recent warm days has melted the snow very fast, and the North Santiam is now running almost bank full." (Albany Democrat)
February 23, 1906: "Work of repairing the bridge across the Santiam at Mehama is in progress. The main span will be repaired and the span on the Linn county side of the river will be rebuilt. It will be replaced by a Howe truss covered bridge to cost $800 or $900." (The Stayton Mail)
September 25, 1908: "The bridge men are here to build the bridge across the river at this point and say the bridge will be out for about three weeks." (The Stayton Mail)
October 16, 1908: "In the County Court: $393.75 allowed on work on Mehama bridge." (Albany Democrat)
October 25, 1911: "L. Shepherd, road supervisor from Mill City, was down one day last week to put decking on the Lyons and Mehama bridge." (Albany Evening Herald)
July 28, 1916: "The Mehama bridge is receiving repairs." (Daily Capital Journal)
August 31, 1920: "Mr. Hunt reports that the Mehama bridge construction is assuming noticeable proportions and that it will be completed by October 1." (Statesman Journal)
September 15, 1920: High water has already begun to take its toll according to word received in Albany today from Mehama, where it is reported that the false work erected for the purpose of raising steel to be used in building the North Fork bridge was carried away Monday.
County Commissioner Pierce today said that this disaster may delay completion of the Mehama bridge until next year. Although the extent and gravity of the damage is not yet known. The bridge was to have been completed by November 1, but reconstruction of the false work will necessitate a great deal of labor, it is said, which may foil Marion and Linn counties in their joint effort to open up this road to traffic." (Albany Democrat-Herald)
December 24, 1920: "The new Mehama bridge will be opened for traffic today. Judge W.M. Bushey and J.T. Hunt, county commissioner, were out viewing the bridge and looking over the roads in that locality Wednesday." (Statesman Journal)
December 1, 1921: "Damage to the Mehama bridge approach is being repaired by Marion county workers." (Albany Democrat)
February 24, 1928: "The Mehama bridge is in much better condition (than the Stayton bridge), a new approach having been placed on the Linn county side last year and new decking put in." (Daily Capital Journal)
November 8, 1929: "Linn county has submitted to the Marion county court bills for its half share on work done on inter-county bridges the past summer. On the Mehama bridge which was redecked and covered with a new coating of asphalt as well as new piling in the approaches the total bill was $1,597.07 of which Marion county's share was $798.53." (Daily Capital Journal)
June 4, 1932: "Advertisements are now out, reports County Engineer Hedda Swart, for construction of the proposed new span on the Mehama bridge over the Santiam. The bids are being called for by the state highway commission and will be opened by that body June 23 with the Marion and Linn county courts expected to be present to either approve or reject the best bid.
Construction of the span was decided on at a recent meeting of the two courts when they determined to complete the bridge as a steel bridge. A new span on the Marion side was built two or three years ago. The new span will be 100 feet long, of steel, and will be a long piling approach, all on the Linn county side." (Daily Capital Journal)
July 7, 1932: “In order to avoid a circuitous detour while the bridge over the North Santiam river at Mehama is being renewed, a temporary bridge will be constructed.
This route has become very important, not only to the residents of the two counties in the vicinity of the bridge, but to logging trucks and salesmen for the various wholesale houses and to pay the costs of the right-of-way and piling the users of the bridge are making donations while the work will be done by the crews of Linn and Marion counties.
Considerable credit is due to Roy Phillipi and E.D. Crabtree for their initiative in securing the cooperation necessary to obtain the temporary structure.” (Mill City Logue)
July 14, 1932: “Roadmaster Johnson who with county court members Tuesday visited Mehama states that work on the detour bridge over the Santiam at that point is getting well advanced and that by a week or ten days at the latest work should be started on tearing out the old structure. Construction of the new spans is expected to use up a good share of the remaining part of the summer.” (Mill City Logue)
October 20, 1932: New Mehama bridge completed except approaches and fills on Linn county side.