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Covered Bridges
Centennial Bridge This bridge was constructed in 1987 by volunteer labor to celebrate Cottage Grove’s centennial. It rests on abutments of the old Main Street Bridge, which stood until the 1950s.
Swinging Bridge Located a half-mile upstream from Centennial Bridge, Swinging Bridge was built for foot and bicycle traffi c and was mostly used by children crossing the Coast Fork to get to school. Currently closed for repairs.
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Chambers Railroad Bridge Built in 1925 by lumberman J.H. Chambers to cross the Coast Fork of the Willamette River from his sawmill to the timberlands west of town, this is the only covered railroad bridge west of the Mississippi River. Restored in 2011.
Mosby Creek Bridge Constructed in 1920 and restored in 1990, this is the oldest bridge in Lane County. Its one lane remains open to traffi c today. Stewart Bridge Constructed in 1930 and restored in 1996, this structure has semi-circular portal arches, ribbon openings at the eaves, and decorative S-curve brackets. The deep water below the bridge is considered one of the best swimming holes in the county.
Dorena Bridge Constructed in 1949 and restored in 1996, this bridge was built after the construction of Dorena Dam on the Row River, forming the present day lake. The Dorena Bridge once tied the roads on the north and south sides of the lake. Closed to traffi c, the bridge is a popular wedding site.
Currin Bridge Constructed in 1925 and restored in 1995, this bridge features white portals and red sides. Currin Bridge replaced an earlier covered bridge built in 1883 by a prominent local bridge builder, Nels Roney.
A stroll around Cottage Grove just isn’t complete without a walk over the Centennial Bridge, constructed in 1987.
After six decades, Cottage Grove’s Bohemia Mining Days Celebration remains a happy, much anticipated, summer event that brings together families and friends for three days of fun. Since 1959, thousands of volunteers and the generous, faithful support of businesses and family foundations have come together to make the magic happen. The result is BMD has become an annual gift our community gives to itself.
There are lots of reasons why Bohemia Mining Days has survived for six decades and is recognized as an Oregon Heritage Tradition. In all those years, for festival-goers, it has been a jam-packed weekend of parades, Old West shootouts and train robberies, carnival rides, a multitude of contests, a miner’s high-country breakfast, the occasional famous person’s visit, favorite bands, favorite vendors who return year after year, and seeing old friends and neighbors strolling through “Bohemia City” in Coiner Park. The origin of the festival is deeply rooted in Cottage Grove residents’ passion for preserving our early history in fun ways. Early community celebrations in the 1930’s and in 1955 resulted in a huge celebration of Oregon’s statehood centennial. The success of that event led organizers to continue an annual summertime celebration of local history. Prospector Ray Nelson is recognized by festival organizers as “The Father of BMD” for his vision of creating an event that would draw visitors off the newly-constructed Interstate 5 freeway and increase awareness among locals of their town’s unique and colorful history. The Prospectors and Gold Diggers Club formed to plan the annual event. As is the case with any annual community event that has BMD’s longevity, there have been challenges to keep the tradition going. In the 1980’s, during the lengthy economic recession and the closure of most of the lumber mills, it was the carnival revenue that paid the operating bills of a much scaled back event. There were two notable years, 1999 and 2011, when the festival fi nancially seemed doomed to fail. Both times it was saved by the generosity of local businesses and donors who paid off the debts. Financially, BMD 2012 was a lean one when Cottage Grove City Councilor Jake Boone took the helm as BMD President. With a reduced operating fund, free activities were needed to offer to kids and their families. Boone, a devoted “gamer”, used his creativity and his love of history to re-introduce in a fun new way the infamous Cottage Grove vs. Lemati Feud in the late 19th Century. At that period in local history, the community experienced rapid growth fueled by suddenly wealthy miners settling on the east side of the river. Cottage Grove was given the nickname of “Slabtown” because of the large slabs of wood placed on its roads to allow travel in rainy months. The confl icts over where municipal services would go fi rst resulted in the creation of the City of Lemati, a Kalapuya word meaning “peaceful valley”. by Wheelbarrow and Candlestick Run. He also created new games such as Fuse-winder, Bohemia Deputies, and Digging in the Dark. Feud players sign up to play and earn points for participating in events that collectively determine which town wins The Feud.
In a full-circle experience, Boone stepped down from the board in 2017 and passed the Feud Master duties to Orr Reeve, the fi rst Feud winner. Festival planners today refer to Boone as the “Father of the Feud”.
BMD boasts not one, not two, but three parades! Friday’s Kiddie Parade and Saturday’s Grand Miners Parade have been part of every celebration. Thursday’s” ladies-only” Bloomers Parade was introduced by Festival Coordinator Sharon Jean in 2007 to kickoff the
opening of Bohemia City in Coiner Park. The parade theme celebrates the invention of pants for women and honors the women who fought so hard for women’s rights in the early 20th Century.
In 2012, the BMD Board made a commitment to include more cultural heritage activities and attractions. The Bohemia City Players’ play highlights the history behind the annual theme. The Historical Treasure Hunt and Time-Traveling Train takes treasure-seeking hunters to local museums and the Historic Downtown District learning facts about local history to compete in a daily $100 cash prize drawing. Historical demonstrations of blacksmithing, fur trapping, antique engines, fashions, and a Civil War Encampment have fulfi lled that commitment.
BMD has had its good years and bad years with our volunteers serving as the glue that holds it together for future generations to enjoy. It is the “failure is not an option” commitment of these fi ercely committed volunteers, combined with the strong support of donors large and small, that have kept the tradition of Bohemia Mining Days Cottage Grove Community Guidebook 2020 • Calive for the past 61 years. ottage Grove Sentinel • (541) 942-3325 • 15
