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STEPHENS
Calapooya Creek
1905 - 1940
May 4, 1905: "Foreman Jennie, the county bridge carpenter, is here, and there will soon be a new bridge on the Calapooia at Stephens." (Roseburg Review)
May 15, 1905: "C.O. Bartley, of Tiller, passed through town Tuesday on his way to Stephens where he will be employed in building a bridge across the Calapooia." (Roseburg Review)
July 15, 1905: "R. Jennie, the county bridge builder, now has the new bridge at Stephens so far completed that it is open for travel, but is yet to be covered. The main span is 120 feet, and the approaches are 60 and 30 feet, respectively. The new structure has cement abutments and is built in a substantial manner." (Roseburg Review)
January 27, 1931: "Bids for lumber for bridge repair work are being asked by the Douglas county court and will be opened at the February term. The court will use 984 board feet for the Stephens bridge on market road No. 9." (The News-Review)
June 20, 1935: "An approach to the Stephens bridge on the Sutherlin-Umpqua road was broken today under the weight of a county truck. The driver of the truck was uninjured and the machine was not materially damaged. Repairs are being made to the bridge." (The News-Review)
July 5, 1940: "The Stephens bridge, across the Calapooia river about six miles west of Sutherlin, was destroyed by fire Wednesday night, the county court was informed today. Replacement of the 30-year-old covered bridge will cost the county about $12,000, it is estimated. The 150-foot span adjoined a popular picnic grounds, and the fire is believed to have been caused by sparks from a picnic campfire. County Judge Morris Bowker announced that the bridge will be replaced as soon as possible with a more modern structure." (The News-Review)
December 31, 1940: "The Stephens bridge across the Calapooia, on the Sutherlin-Coles Valley road, was opened to traffic today. The span of concrete and steel of the flat-deck type, replaces an old, covered wooden bridge destroyed by fire.
Approaches to the bridge, which is located about 100 yards downstream from the old site, have not been entirely completed, and only one-way traffic is permitted at present." (The News-Review)