Bidwell Bar Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Bidwell Bar Bridge, in Oroville, California
, refers to two suspension bridge
s which cross different parts of Lake Oroville
. The original Bidwell Bar Bridge was the first steel suspension bridge in California
. The $35,000, 240-foot (73 m) long original was completed in December 1855, and was built of materials transported from Troy, New York
via Cape Horn
. Most of the money was put up by a Judge Joseph Lewis, a Virginia
n who moved to Bidwell's Bar
in 1849. The bridge originally crossed the Feather River
and is the only one of several suspension bridges built in the area in the 1850s that still remains. It remained open to vehicle traffic until 1954.
Construction of the Oroville Dam
flooded the canyon where the Feather River ran as well as the town of Bidwell's Bar, and preservationists arranged for the relocation of the bridge in 1966 to the south side of the lake, where it is still open to foot traffic. Its original site is now inundated by the lake.
A replacement bridge was constructed in 1967 and is 1,108 ft. (338 m) long. The bridge is built a mile and a half upstream from its original location. At the time, it was one of the highest suspension bridges in the world (627 ft. / 190 m above the original streambed), but with the creation of the lake, the bridge now sits just above the water level. The bridge is signed as part of State Route 162.
The original bridge is registered as California Historical Landmark
#314 and it has been declared a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers
. The Mother Orange Tree
, the first orange
tree in Northern California
(purchased by Judge Lewis), is located near the California landmark commemorative plaque
.
Oroville, California
Oroville is the county seat of Butte County, California. The population was 15,506 at the 2010 census, up from 13,004 at the 2000 census...
, refers to two suspension bridge
Suspension bridge
A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. Outside Tibet and Bhutan, where the first examples of this type of bridge were built in the 15th century, this type of bridge dates from the early 19th century...
s which cross different parts of Lake Oroville
Lake Oroville
Lake Oroville, also known as Lake Edmonston, is a reservoir in the U.S. state of California, formed by the Oroville Dam across the Feather River. The lake is situated in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada about northeast of Oroville. At over , it is one of the largest reservoirs in California,...
. The original Bidwell Bar Bridge was the first steel suspension bridge in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The $35,000, 240-foot (73 m) long original was completed in December 1855, and was built of materials transported from Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
via Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
. Most of the money was put up by a Judge Joseph Lewis, a Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
n who moved to Bidwell's Bar
Bidwell's Bar, California
Bidwell's Bar was a gold mining camp in Butte County, California, United States, which lay at the end of the California Trail...
in 1849. The bridge originally crossed the Feather River
Feather River
The Feather River is the principal tributary of the Sacramento River, in the Sacramento Valley of Northern California. The river's main stem is about long. Its length to its most distant headwater tributary is about . Its drainage basin is about...
and is the only one of several suspension bridges built in the area in the 1850s that still remains. It remained open to vehicle traffic until 1954.
Construction of the Oroville Dam
Oroville Dam
Oroville Dam spans the Feather River about northeast of the city of Oroville, California. It forms Lake Oroville, which stores water for irrigation, flood control, municipal water supply and hydroelectricity generation in California's Sacramento Valley. The dam lies in the foothills of the Sierra...
flooded the canyon where the Feather River ran as well as the town of Bidwell's Bar, and preservationists arranged for the relocation of the bridge in 1966 to the south side of the lake, where it is still open to foot traffic. Its original site is now inundated by the lake.
The original bridge is registered as California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmarks are buildings, structures, sites, or places in the state of California that have been determined to have statewide historical significance by meeting at least one of the criteria listed below:...
#314 and it has been declared a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
. The Mother Orange Tree
Mother Orange Tree
The Mother Orange Tree is the oldest living orange tree in Northern California. It is growing in Oroville, California.-History:Originally planted in Bidwell's Bar near the Bidwell Bar Bridge, the tree is a Mediterranean sweet orange Citrus × sinensis cultivar. The citrus rootstock was brought from...
, the first orange
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
tree in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
(purchased by Judge Lewis), is located near the California landmark commemorative plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
.