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FAIR OAKS
Calapooya Creek
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T25S-R4W-Sec7
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1910 - 1952
October 5, 1908: "R. Jennie, the county bridge builder, return to Fair Oaks today to resume work on a bridge there." (Roseburg Review)
May 19, 1910: "A. Field, county bridge builder, left today for Fair Oaks, near Oakland, where he will span the Calapooia with a wagon bridge, 18 feet wide. The bridge will consist of a main span 150 feet long, with 75-foot approach." (Roseburg Review)
April 20, 1922: "The bridge over the Calapooia at Fair Oaks was condemned today by County Engineer Frear and W. V. Hurst, bridge constructor. It was found that two of the lower chords were split and that the bridge was in a dangerous condition. Barricades were built at each end of the bridge and it will be closed until some action can be taken to either repair it or construct a new bridge. The structure, it is claimed, is not sufficiently strong for the traffic which it must bear and the engineer advises a new one be built." (Roseburg News-Review)
April 28, 1922: "Work has been started in repairing the bridge at Fair Oaks, which was condemned a few days ago. Temporary repairs will be made for the present, County Engineer Frear says, and later permanent repairs will be made. A general inspection has been made of the bridges all over the county and many will have to be strengthened during the summer months." (Roseburg News-Review)
January 5, 1927: "Bill Wadkins, aged 21 years, was arrested this morning at Sutherlin charged with setting fire to the Calapooya bridge at Fair Oaks, burning the barn on the Jack Francis place and attempting to burn the residence on the same farm. He is said to have confessed the crimes.
The bridge was so badly damaged that it will probably have to be rebuilt, while the barn was completely destroyed. The house, however, was only slightly scorched.
A dislike for the community in which he was residing, coupled with a plan for departure and a desire for excitement before leaving, was given as the motive. He is to be given an examination as to his mental condition.
While the fire was in progress at the farm it was also found that the county bridge over the Calapooia was blazing. It was evident that the bridge fire had been started first. The fire had been started almost in the center and it was only through great efforts on the part of numerous residents of the community that the bridge was not entirely destroyed.
The bridge is a covered, two span structure about two hundred feet in length, counting the approaches. The fire went through the sills and into the stringers near the center pier, and also took off a large part of one side and the greater part of the roof.
The supports and trusses were so badly burned that it may be found necessary to rebuild the entire bridge, the construction used being such that replacement of damaged parts will be extremely difficult." (Roseburg News-Review)
January 6, 1927: "An investigation of the Fair Oaks bridge reveals that one span must be rebuilt. The county has nailed up the structure and is preparing to start work at once to again make it passable. Temporarily a span will be built inside the damaged truss so that it will not be necessary to hold up traffic for any great length of time. It is estimated that the cost will amount to $1,000 or $1,500." (Roseburg News-Review)
January 8, 1927: "The county court and County Engineer Floyd Frear left this morning for Fair Oaks to inspect the bridge which was partially burned a few days ago. The court will determine what is necessary to put the structure back into service." (Roseburg News-Review)
January 19, 1927: "A delegation of residents of the Fair Oaks vicinity visited the county court today with a request for a change in the location of the bridge, which crosses the Calapooia at that place. The bridge was recently badly damaged when it was fired by an insane man, and the county will be required to spend several hundred dollars in improvements. The residents of that section believe that the interests of the county can be best served by the construction of a new bridge on a better site.
The present bridge is approached on curves at either end, and steep grades are encountered at each approach. By drippong the structure down stream about 100 yards an almost straight approach is possible and no grades will be encountered.
The residents offer to either grade the new road necessary to reach the bridge in the changed location, or to levy a special tax upon their property to pay the costs.
County Judge Quine promised that an investigation will be made of the matter, and if the court finds it advisable a new bridge will be constructed." (Roseburg News-Review)
February 23, 1927: "A bent was carried out of the Fair Oaks bridge, which was recently damaged by fire, and that bridge is unsafe." (Roseburg News-Review)
April 9, 1927: "The county court has ordered the viewing of the county road at Fair Oaks with the aim of straightening the road in order to eliminate curves at the bridge approach. As long as it will probably be necessary to construct a new bridge, due to the fact that the present one was badly damaged by fire recently, the residents are asking that the bridge be placed upstream from the present structure and that a straight road be built to it on each side, eliminating the present grades and curves." (Roseburg News-Review)
July 8, 1927: "The contract for the roofing of the Fair Oaks bridge, which was damaged by the fire last year, was let to Clyde Catching, whose bid was $275." (The News-Review)
May 23, 1951: "The roof of the covered bridge at Fair Oaks received considerable damage from fire Tuesday, reports U. F. McLaughlin, Douglas Forest Protective association dispatcher. Sparks from a nearby brush fire started the blaze.
A pump truck from the DFPA answered a summons and extinguished the blaze." (The News-Review)
June 26, 1951: "Included in the construction projects is the building of a bridge on the Driver Valley road across the Calapooia creek in the Fair Oaks vicinity to replace an old wooden structure that has been declared unsafe by the county engineer." (The News-Review)
February 15, 1952: "Bids on two Douglas County jobs will be opened when the State Highway Commission meets Tuesday, Feb. 19, in Portland. They include construction of a 226-foot bridge across Calapooia River at Fair Oaks near Sutherlin." (The News-Review)
June 28, 1952: "A $40,000 wood span replacement for the Fair Oaks Bridge on Driver Valley Road about five miles east of Sutherlin is expected to be completed about Aug. 10.
Floyd C. Frear, county bridge engineer, said the new bridge will replace a shaky 42-year-old covered bridge now being torn down.
'The bridge has been repaired many times,' Frear said, 'and now it's almost beyond repair.'
Traffic is expected to be detoured about the middle of July when construction gets under way on the new 75-foot span." (The News-Review)