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RICE CREEK
South Umpqua River
1924 - 1956
July 14, 1924: "Work on the Rice Creek bridge is to start tomorrow. This bridge is being built across the South Umpqua to give the residents of the Rice Creek district a short cut to the highway and eliminate several miles of bad road. The bridge will cost around $10,000 and the residents of the district are donating a great deal of the labor and materials. The lumber is being placed on the ground at $5 per thousand, all hauling of materials is being donated, and the residents agree to fill in the approaches at each end, making the job as cheap for the county as possible." (The News-Review)
August 7, 1924: "County Roadmaster Floyd Frear yesterday inspected the work being done on the Rice creek bridge. The structure is going up rapidly and in accordance with the plans, he reports. The bridge, when completed, will connect the Rice and Willis creek communities with the Pacific highway and will eliminate the road around the hill to Dillard, cutting off about four miles coming north and two miles going south." (The News-Review)
November 1, 1952: "Flames of undetermined origin burned through a main timber on the west end of the Rice Creek Bridge across the South Umpqua two miles south of Dillard early today, causing the bridge to be closed to all traffic.
Roseburg rural firemen were called to the scene at 2:15 a.m. by a woman living nearby who noticed the flames.
The county engineer judged the bridge unsafe for even foot traffic." (The News-Review)
June 2, 1953: "The sheriff's office and state police again are on the lookout for an arsonist or arsonists who set fire to the Rice Creek bridge for the second time since last fall.
The bridge was set ablaze Friday night. Members of the Douglas County Court said that a reward is being contemplated for apprehension of the vandals.
Old auto tires were piled on the bridge and set ablaze Friday night, and the County Court said that the bridge, which has been closed since the first fire, may have been put out of use by the second fire.
The bridge had not been repaired because of high water through the winter and spring.
The Court said that the road department would investigate to determine whether repair of the bridge is feasible.
The bridge is located above Dillard on the Rice Creek Road." (The News-Review)
June 18, 1954: "Work for the immediate future is scheduled on the Rice Creek Bridge which had been badly weakened and closed after vandals had set it afire for the second time last year. Frear said work would start on it in about 10 days. He said work would make it possible to use the bridge for light car traffic." (The News-Review)
July 26, 1954: "The old Rice and Willis Creek bridge has been opened to traffic after being out of commission for more than a year, reports Dillard correspondent Rosa Heinbach. The bridge was damaged by fire on Halloween in 1952.
The Martha Rice Bridge, which crosses the South Umpqua river one mile south of Dillard, was built by donation material and labor in 1924. Residents of Willis Creek, Rice Creek, Dillard and Brockway made donations of material, even the cement, gravel, nails and bolts for the construction of this bridge.
The late W. V. Hurst of Myrtle Creek was head carpenter and overseer of the construction, F. C. Frear was county engineer and roadmaster at the time of construction work. Other county officials helping to make the project a reality were George K. Quinn, county judge; Bruce McGreggor, R. W. Long, and Ed Weaver, county commissioners, and I. B. Riddle, county clerk.
The bridge is an aid to logging and other traffic which comes from Willis and Rice Creek to the main highway. During the last two years, traffic has been moving around the new county road built at the base of Mount Bette." (The News-Review)
January 9, 1956: "The Rice Creek Bridge will be dismantled, according to County Commissioner Frank Ashley.
He reports the action will be taken on the recommendation of the county bridge engineer and county road engineer. The bridge has been closed since the December flood. Ashley said dismantling will probably start in about a week.
The bridge became unsafe after it was badly buffeted by debris during the high water. Residents of the areas who traveled over the bridge can cross at the Dillard bridge." (The News-Review)