Skip to main content

Grays River Covered Bridge - Wahkiakum County, Washington


The Grays River Covered Bridge is located near the town of Grays River in Wahkiakum County, Washington. Located just south of Washington State Route 4 (WA 4), the Grays River Covered Bridge was the last historic covered bridge in Washington State that could handle motor vehicle traffic. The 158-foot-long and 14-foot-wide Howe truss covered bridge crosses Grays River, facilitating the transportation of dairy and lumber products from western Wahkiakum County. The land surrounding the covered bridge is Ahlberg Park, named for an early resident who was instrumental in getting the covered bridge constructed.

The covered bridge was built in 1905 by Hans P. Ahlberg, a Swedish immigrant and community leader who had founded the Grays River Grange in 1901, who was also a local farmer whose family owned property on both sides of the river. Local grange members and farmers lobbied Wahkiakum County commissioners to build a bridge that would allow horses, carriages, and wagons to cross the river, which the county agreed to build for $2,615.00. Much of the work on the covered bridge was done by residents whose labor counted toward their tax assessments, which was a common practice in the early 1900s. The bridge was covered in 1906 because the bridge planks were too slick for livestock to cross safely, owing to the high amounts of annual precipitation that falls upon southwestern Washington State, with the roof of the covered bridge initially built with cedar shingles and tin.

The Grays River Covered Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. In 1988, the bridge received a major restoration and reconstruction. Since the bridge was in disrepair at that time and was at risk of being torn down, residents raised funds to restore the bridge. The cost of restoration was $295,980 and the new bridge included some steel beams with wood veneer to help give it an original look. The bridge was rededicated in 1989 for public use.

The covered bridge has been managed by the Grays River Grange since 2011, which is tasked with raising funds for maintenance and connecting the local community by way of the bridge. It is the site of a popular Covered Bridge Festival that takes place every summer. My visit to the Grays River Covered Bridge allowed me to take in the idyllic surroundings of this Washington State icon of yesteryear, thanks to the work and dedication of those who have had a stake in keeping the bridge intact.






How to Get There:



Sources and Links:
Clatsop News - Grays River Covered Bridge: History Preserved
Chinook Observer - New park will encompass Grays River covered bridge (May 15, 2007)
The Historical Marker Database - Grays River Covered Bridge
The Historical Marker Database - Ahlberg Park At the Historic Grays River Covered Bridge
Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce - Grays River
The Columbia River "A Photographic Journey" - Grays River, Washington
DaleJTravis.com - Washington Covered Bridges

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Bleriot Ferry - Alberta

  Alberta operates six ferries scattered throughout the province. Roughly twenty to twenty-five kilometers up the Red Deer River from the town of Drumheller is one of the most scenic ferry crossings in all of Wild Rose Country, the Bleriot Ferry. Using the North Dinosaur Trail (Alberta Highway 838, or AB 838), the Bleriot Ferry provides a scenic river cruise of sorts in the Canadian Badlands. The Bleriot Ferry started operating in 1913 as the Munson Ferry when a few bridges crossed the Red Deer River. The ferry was started by Andre Bleriot, the brother of famed early aviator Louis Bleriot, who became famous for being the first person to fly over the English Channel. At the time, the Alberta provincial government commissioned local residents to run the ferries. There were several ferries along the Red Deer River, and not only did they serve as vital transportation links, but they also served as local social hubs, since everyone had to take the ferries to go places. Over time, as the...

The Pollasky Bridge

The Pollasky Bridge near modern day Friant is a ruined highway bridge which was completed during early 1906 as part of the Fresno-Fresno Flats Road.  The structure is one of the oldest known arch concrete spans to have been constructed in California.  The bridge briefly carried California State Route 41 following the destruction of the Lanes Bridge in 1940.  The Pollasky Bridge itself was destroyed by flooding during 1951, but the ruins can still be found on the Madera County side of the San Joaquin River.   Pictured as the blog cover is the Pollasky Bridge as it was featured in the 1913 book "The Concrete Bridge."  The structure can be seen crossing the San Joaquin River near Friant below on the 1922 United States Geological Survey Map.   Part 1; the history of the Pollasky Bridge The Pollasky Bridge site is near modern day Friant of Fresno County.  The community of Friant was established as Converse Ferry during 1852 on the San Joaquin Rive...

I-73/I-74 and NC Future Interstates Year in Review 2024

Welcome to another annual review of progress in constructing North Carolina's New and Future Interstate routes. While 2024 was not too exciting, with no new segments of major routes opening, there was 1 new interstate signing, another proposed new interstate route, and the near opening of a new segment for 2 routes. As tradition, I will start off with a review of what happened with I-73 and I-74 and then move on to the major news of the year about the other new and future routes. Work continued on the I-73/I-74 Rockingham Bypass through the year. The last few months have been hoping for news of its opening before 2025, without luck. Signs of its near completion included the placement of new signs, many with interstate shields uncovered, along the Bypass and intersecting roadways. For example, these went up along US 74 East: Overhead signage at Business 74 exit which contains the future ramp to I-73 North/I-74 West. Signage was also updated heading west on US 74 approaching the unop...