CV031: Coyote Creek near Crow, OR – 1968

This restored image from a heavily discolored slide shows the Coyote Creek or alternatively named Swing Log Covered Bridge near Crow, Oregon as seen on June 10, 1968.

The 60-foot bridge was built in 1922 and is a Howe truss construction. It crosses Coyote Creek and was built on the original Territorial Highway of the 1850’s, which was also the first road built in Lane County, Oregon.

Truck traffic eventually became too heavy for the bridge and it was bypassed when a more direct highway route was constructed.

Approximately a year after this photo, a heavy snowfall dropped more than three feet of snow on the bridge, collapsing the roof. The rafters were cut to remove the roof and it was uncovered until repairs could be made the following spring.

The bridge is also known as the Battle Creek bridge because of its location on Battle Creek Road. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 29, 1979, and is still open to traffic.