17 March 2006

Welcome to Westfir


bridge interior
Originally uploaded by Katherine H.
Tucked behind the hills of Highway 58 near Oakridge sits the tiny town of Westfir (population 276). Once a logging camp, the prominent feature of Westfir is the Office Covered Bridge. The bridge was built to connect a lumber mill on one side of the river with the company office, which sat on the other.

At 180 feet in length, the bridge is the longest covered bridge to remain in Oregon. One unique feature is the separate pedestrian walkway which flanks the still drivable vehicle roadway.

The town of Westifr, along with the accompanying logging company and bridge, were sold in 1977 to an investment company. Today, with the mill gone and the local economy struggling, the Westfir area is trying to capitalize on their beautiful location to promote outdoor recreation such as mountain biking, hiking, fly fishing, and camping.

1 comment:

Jimmie Dale Martin, Blogmaster said...

You write well and have interesting tales.