RITNER

This is a 75 foot long bridge over the Ritner Creek built in 1927. It was named after Sebastian Ritner who settled the area in 1845. Some of his descendants still live in the area.

This was the last covered bridge on an Oregon state highway. In 1974, the bridge was declared structurally unsafe and was scheduled to be demolished but was saved thanks to the efforts of the Pedee grade school children and local residents. The bridge was lifted from its foundation and relocated just downstream of its original site in 1976 and restored. The restoration work on this bridge was topnotch.

The roads to the bridge are in excellent condition and the scenery quite picturesque as you pass through rural Oregon. There is a paved parking area on the south end of the bridge so you don't have to stop on the main road which I don't recommend as the pace of travel, although sparse, is quite brisk on Hwy 223 through that area. A small park was created at the south end of the bridge and is well maintained. Besides walk up access to the bridge, it features a gravelled path to the waters edge. Inside the bridge are picnic tables so pack along a snack and take the time to enjoy a piece of history.

Latitude: 44°43'41.1"N Longitude: 123°26'30.9"W
(About 3.5 miles south of the town of Pedee, OR)

FOURTNER

Built in 1932 by Doc Fourtner and his wife to allow cattle to cross without the danger of being swept away by high water. The bridge is 66 feet long over the South Yamhill River. This is a difficult bridge to access as it is located on private property but the property owner is quite friendly and offered to walk me down to the bridge which is located in the back of their cow pasture. It appears the home and the barns on the property are the original structures on the land, matching the vintage of the bridge. She noted in the twelve years she's lived there, not many people stop by to look at the bridge and is quite frankly puzzled why anyone would be interested in this particular bridge. And I'm not quite sure which intrigued her most about my visit... that I arrived on my "motorbike" as she called it or that I was a woman travelling by myself.

It was somewhat challenging to capture the bridge properly with the current tree growth around it so I am posting a second picture from the front of the bridge as well. The owner said it was no longer safe to walk inside the bridge as some of the floor boards are coming loose. She works on it as time allows.

Latitude: 45°04'14.1"N
Longitude: 123°36'59.1"W