Cottage Grove in Lane County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)

Chambers Covered Railroad Bridge

1925 - 2011

Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, April 11, 2026

1. Chambers Covered Railroad Bridge Marker

Inscription.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Original construction 1925
Restoration and dedication for public use
December 2011

Funded by:
National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Oregon Surface Transportation Program
Citizens of Cottage Grove

Erected 2011 by City of Cottage Grove.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1925.

Location. 43° 47.365′ N, 123° 4.202′ W. Marker is in Cottage Grove, Oregon, in Lane County. It is on South River Road south of E Harrison Ave, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 960 S River Rd, Cottage Grove OR 97424, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast,

in the Pacific Northwest,

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is

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in North America,

in the Cascade Range,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Millwork Memories (within shouting distance of this marker); Last Covered Railroad Bridge in Oregon (within shouting distance of this marker); A Man, a Mill, & a Bridge to Timber (within shouting distance of this marker); Cottage Grove—Getting Established (within shouting distance of this marker); Timber Town (within shouting distance of this marker); Welcome to Slabtown (approx. 0.3 miles away); Cottage Grove Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Centennial Bridge (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cottage Grove.

Regarding Chambers Covered Railroad Bridge. The Chambers Covered Railroad Bridge was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and is part of the Oregon Covered Bridges Thematic Resource, a group of historic covered bridges throughout Oregon that are protected and maintained by local and state resources.

Also see . . .
1. National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form (1979).

Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, April 11, 2026

2. Chambers Covered Railroad Bridge Marker

Statement of Significance:

The Chambers Bridge is the last covered railroad bridge in Oregon. It was built by the Oregon, Pacific and Eastern railroad for a logging spur which brought logs to the Frank Chambers Mill in Cottage Grove. The sawmill burned in 1943. Although the bridge trusses are now exposed, at one time the sides were completely enclosed to afford maximum protection for the timbers.

In the typical construction for railroad spans, multiple steel reinforcing rods were used to hold truss members of herculean proportions necessary to support the moving weight of rail payloads. As in most wooden railroad bridges, three steel rods connect the upper and lower chords. The end vertical truss members, however, use five rods to hold them in place. Hand-hewn truss members in the Chambers Bridge, like others, were preferred over mill-sawed timbers because wood fibers crushed by saw teeth allowed moisture to enter more readily than axe formed surfaces.

The western approach to the bridge has been removed to make way for the easement of South River Road. Abandoned for years, the bridge has been a frequent target of arsonists as
Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, April 11, 2026

3. Chambers Covered Railroad Bridge
charred timbers attest. Fortunately, the bridge has not succumbed to fire.

Built to accommodate steam engines pulling logging trains, the sides of the Chambers Bridge stretch much higher than highway spans, almost hiding a rusting metal roof.

Two other bridges in Oregon, the Pass Creek Bridge in Drain, and the Wimer Bridge in Wimer, share with the Chambers Bridge, the distinction of being the only covered bridges within the boundaries of a city.

(Submitted on April 23, 2026, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon.)

2. Chambers Covered Bridge. An excellent history of the bridge and its restoration.

The Chambers Railroad Bridge is the only remaining covered railroad bridge in Oregon. It is believed to be the only remaining covered railroad bridge west of the Mississippi River. The Chambers Bridge is a Howe Truss bridge (see explanation of a Howe truss below).

The bridge was constructed in 1925 by lumberman J.H. Chambers to transport logs across the Coast Fork Willamette River to his sawmill on the east side of the bridge. The bridge was in operation from 1925 to 1951. In the 1950's the railroad was sold for
Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, April 11, 2026

4. Chambers Covered Railroad Bridge
scrap and the bridge was no longer used. The bridge was in private ownership until December 2006, when the City of Cottage Grove finally secured full ownership of the bridge. The bridge is listed on the National Historic Register (NRIS no.79002081).

(Submitted on April 23, 2026, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon.)

Credits. This page was last revised on April 24, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 23, 2026, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. This page has been viewed 36 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 23, 2026, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.