Historic Hood River
Bridge Above Punchbowl
10-8-2021
Notes
Notes indicate this is the bridge across the West Fork just above Punchbowl Falls. We’ve seen a closeup of it before, but this view makes it even scarier in my view. Can that really hold a car?
I believe the lower part of the structure is a remnant of the construction process. I think the bridge may be under construction in this image. The left approach doesn’t even have a railing.
dale nicol
I think the main redeeming thing is most of the cars back then were not as heavy as today’s cars.
L.E.
I am not sure I would even walk across it.
Jeff Bryant
I think this could be the bridge that got condemned.
ArthurB
Jeffrey, can you remind me about the condemnation?
Jeffrey W Bryant
See The Hood River Glacier, April 13, 1922, page 3 and September 14, 1922, page 5 regarding a contract to replace the crooked bridge which resulted in a recall election in 1913. The crooked bridge was built in 1912 or 1913 and condemned in 1921. The new Winans bridge was completed in 1923 (See Hood River Glacier, April 12, 1923, page 6).
nels
Professional photo? Excellent composition as well as depth of field.
ArthurB
I’ve read Jeffrey’s articles about the bridge across the West Fork at Winans and I don’t think this is it. I think this is the bridge over Deadpoint Creek just above the Punch Bowl. The bridge at Winan’s would be roughly where the Dee Highway crosses the West Fork, just South of Dee.
One of the Winan’s Bridge articles is from a road engineer describing the placement of the piers in the water, and it sounds much more like the span on the Dee Highway. The controversy over the Winan’s "Crooked Bridge" led to the successful recall of all three members of the county commission, and was very disruptive to the politics of a very young county (roughly 4 years old at the time). I’ll probably do another post on this subject.
Bhuk
I believe The Winans bridge crossed the combined east and middle fork (their confluence is south of the Dee mill) -north of the Dee mill bridge- at now Iowa Dr. If you look at google earth you can see where it crossed- in recent years the west side by the punch bowl- which is on the West Fork-has been made into a nice park by volunteers.
That corner/area of the Dee Hwy has always been referred at as Winans Corner in our family- And old maps show that area as the Township of Winans.
Sadly – I heard the last of the Winans Township residents -Dave and Sandy-has sold all there property in that area.
Dead point Cr enters the west fork below the punch bowl, it runs thru the fish hatchery before dropping into it.
I think this bridge picture is above the punch bowl over the west fork- judging from the narrowness of the River canyon
ArthurB
Thanks for the correction, Bhuk. I think this is the Punchbowl Rd. crossing of the West Fork just above Punch Bowl Falls, I always get turned around in there.
Also, your identification of the Winans Bridge at Iowa Drive matches the 1911 County Map I’ve posted here before (https://www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org?showimage=892). It labels Winans at that spot and shows a road crossing the East/Middle Fork just above the confluence with the West Fork.
I wonder why they needed a bridge across the East/Middle Fork at both Dee and Winans?