SILVERTON, Ore. — Outlaws once hid out in Oregon's covered bridges, waiting patiently for miners loaded with gold.
Young lovers also took to the shadows, hurriedly stealing kisses before the next horse clip-clopped through.
But with gold and modesty in short supply these days, covered bridges are now for those who like to dream. So if you come upon a covered bridge during a sunny Sunday drive, slow down. Let your mind wander back to the days when the structures held up by huge, rough-hewn beams, had a purpose — however dubious — and were part of everyday life.
Oregon has the largest collection of covered bridges west of the Mississippi, with more than 50 scattered mostly around the Willamette Valley south of Portland.
The Lane County town of Cottage Grove, south of Eugene, has 20 covered bridges that can be toured in a day, earning it the title "Covered Bridge Capital of the West."
Oregon's first covered, wooden span was built in 1851 in Oregon City. In the 1920s and 1930s, Oregon boasted more than 400 covered bridges; more than 800 were scattered throughout the West.
In Oregon — blessed with rivers, rain and abundant big timber — the structures served a practical function: Roofs kept wooden decks and trusses from rotting too quickly.
No two structures are alike. But many Oregon bridges are painted white, inside and out. Many employ a Howe Truss, where the support beams are latticed — placed at angles in a series of X's between the bridge's upper and lower chords. Iron rods equipped with nuts and turnbuckles hold the formation tight.
Steel and concrete were hard to come by, so it was common for builders — using hand tools like the adz, broadax and auger — to cut chord from nearby groves of trees and construct the framework on the riverbank.
Bugs and bad weather eventually took their toll. Some bridges were simply abandoned, because they couldn't handle increasingly heavy traffic.
Most of Oregon's remaining bridges are concentrated in Linn and Lane counties in the Willamette Valley.
Sixteen of the covered spans in and around Cottage Grove are listed on the National Register of Historical Places. Fourteen are still open to traffic of some sort.
The Chambers Railroad bridge in Cottage Grove is Oregon's only remaining covered railroad bridge. The 78-foot span was built in 1925 to carry logs to the J.H. Chambers Mill.
These days, the bridge sits with its iron rail beds removed. Pigeons nesting in the rafters fly in and out through holes in the corrugated tin roof.
About an hour to the east on Oregon 58 near Oakridge, the 180-foot Office Bridge is Oregon's longest covered span.
Set against a backdrop of dense Douglas fir, the Office Bridge is located in Westfir, about 35 miles east of Eugene, in the foothills of the Cascade Range and the heart of the Willamette National Forest.
Unlike many Oregon bridges that are painted white to blend with the surroundings, the Office Bridge is red with white trim.
"These old places are so wonderful," said Sue Bitel, a retiree from Derby, Kan., who pulled off Oregon 58 to see the bridge. "So much has happened here — coming here just takes you back."
The sawmill burned in 1980. The Office Bridge was unharmed, but it was closed to all but foot traffic. The mill offices have been converted into an inn, which still holds the company's original vault.
The bridges offered tempting cover for robbers and "gold snatchers."
So Oregon legend has it that if you're planning to walk alone across a covered bridge at dusk, whistle loudly to ward off would-be attackers.
The 84-foot Gallon House Bridge near the Marion County town of Silverton apparently owes its name to an unauthorized liquor store which operated just before prohibition.
Many of the spans stand near favorite watering holes, and kids have been known to climb up into the rafters, make a hole in the roof and dive into the water below.
Under the Gallon House Bridge, dozens of young lovers have painted their names together. "Bobby & Cheyanne 4 Life" . . ."Joel loves Sue" . . . "Dan and Steff were here."
"The graffiti isn't as bad as it was," says Jeanine Schmeltzer, of the Oregon Covered Bridges Society.
"We just want the bridges to be used — to remain a part of the community."