J. Robert Chapman Memorial Bridge

J. Robert Chapman Memorial Bridge. . The Vaca Valley Railroad built a rail and wagon trestle bridge across Putah Creek into Yolo County at this site in 1875, bringing about the birth of the town of Winters. The bridge was built with the financial assistance of prospective businessmen and landowners, including Theodore Winters and D.P. Edwards. Growth of the area's first town, Buckeye, ended that year. Many of Buckeye's residents moved to Winters, in some instances hauling their homes with them, pulled by horses over a distance of two miles., The Southern Pacific Railroad replaced the 1875 wood trestle bridge with this steel Pratt truss railroad bridge in 1906. On April 1, 1908, a celebration was held dedicating this bridge and the new "Yolo-Solano Concrete Bridge" for automobiles. The celebration was attended by 3000 people, for which the Chamber of Commerce published a special illustrated brochure., In 1977, Southern Pacific donated the bridge and a 60 foot right-of-way on either side of Putah Creek to the City of Winters, for the use of visitors on foot and bicycle. The generous gift was made with the encouragement of Southern Pacific Vice President and Chief Counsel Allen C. Furth, whose family had business and farming interests in Winters. Along with this gift, Southern Pacific sold a land parcel to the city for construction of the Winters Community Center in 1980., In 2006 the City of Winters undertook the rehabilitation of the formerly dilapidated railroad bridge, now reborn for safe transit and viewing of Putah Creek by strollers and cyclists., The renovated bridge is dedicated to the memory of Winters native Robert Chapman, who server the city for 21 years, 14 years as mayor.