The 1927 Ritner Creek Bridge was the last covered bridge on a state highway in Oregon. This 75-foot (22 m) bridge was built in 1927, carrying Oregon Route 223 over Ritner Creek in Polk County, Oregon. This Howe truss bridge was constructed by Hamer and Curry Contractors to Oregon State Highway Commission plans, and is one of the covered bridges remaining in Oregon west of the Cascades. The initial construction cost was $6,964. Ritner Creek Covered Bridge was named for the pioneer, Sebastian Ritner, who arrived in Oregon in 1845. Some of his descendants still live in this area.

Declared structurally unsafe in 1974, it was scheduled for removal. The children of Pedee School, along with the citizens in the Pedee area, rallied to its support with a “Save the Bridge” campaign. The County Commissioners met with the State Highway Department, and as a result, the issue was placed on the ballot of May 28, 1974. The measure passed, and the covered bridge was to be moved to an adjacent site.

In 1976, the bridge was lifted from its foundation and relocated just downstream of its original site, and replaced by a concrete bridge that parallels it. Relocation of the bridge cost the taxpayers $26,031 in 1975-76. An additional $533.08 has been spent on a mini park, which is located next to the bridge. Another park, Ritner Creek County Park, is located a few miles upstream.

The original portal design was rounded at the edges, but was changed to a square design in the early 1960s to accommodate larger loads rolling across its timbers.

Ritner Creek Covered Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, following nomination by the State Historic Preservation Office, because while nearly 450 covered bridges existed in Oregon at the time of the bridge's construction, by the mid-1970s, fewer than 60 were left in the state.

Located at:  N44 43.692   W123 26.510       -       WGCB #37-27-01

Photographed in May of 2025

Photos by Millard Farmer