Thursday, December 22, 2011

Illinois River swinging bridge, a bit of history

There's been a series of foot bridges spanning the Illinois River just upstream of the confluence of Rancherie Creek and the McCaleb Ranch. This is a scan from a 1949 guide book to Southern Oregon.

From Guide to Southern Oregon 1949. Click to enlarge.

A few of us are old enough to have memories of this iteration of the Illinois River swinging bridge. Fishermen would lean against sides and drop their lines into the deep pool below.  They were after the giant fall chinook holding in the clear water, waiting for rains to bring the river up high enough for them to make it over the falls upstream of the bridge.

Placeholder post. More information to be added.