Dining in the Horse Creek covered bridge

Reprinted from the August 28, 2013, Douglas County News

By Ted Romus

MYRTLE CREEK: The 3rd Annual Dinner on the Horse Creek Covered Bridge was held last Saturday evening in Myrtle Creek to another sold out crowd of 90 people, the maximum capacity for the historic bridge originally built in 1930 to span Horse Creek in the vicinity of McKenzie Bridge in Lane County.

When the bridge was dismantled in December 1987 the original wooden timbers were given to the City of Cottage Grove. Some of those timbers were used to construct a small-scale replica covered bridge in their city park. The remaining lumber was donated to the City of Myrtle Creek in 1990. Thanks to many dedicated local residents and businesses, the re-constructed bridge now spans a stream in Myrtle Creek and offers pedestrian and bicycle access to Millsite Park, the location of many community events, including the Summer Festival and Music in the Park, at its’ band shell, picnic shelter and RV park.

The idea to for a Dinner on the Bridge event came from Steve and Carol Hall, longtime Myrtle Creek residents and owners of Hall’s Mercantile/ACE Hardware, in 2011. Steve and Carol agreed to organize the event that year and solicited donations of food and auction items from local businesses and individuals. All proceeds were split evenly between four local non-profit organizations: the Main Street Myrtle Creek Association, the Myrtle Creek Elks Lodge, the Myrtle Creek Lions Club and the Myrtle Creek~Tri City Area Chamber of Commerce. Since then, one of those four organizations has been responsible for planning and organizing the event; the Chamber of Commerce last year and the Main Street Association this year.

This dinner had a Hawaiian theme, with spit-roasted pig, Hawaiian chicken, spicy rice, green salad, tropical fruit salad, Hawaiian rolls, dessert and beverages being served by young people from the Family Fellowship Church. The pig was donated by Ray Dean and cooked for over ten hours by Tom Delsman, with Ray assisting, as part of the contribution from the Elks Lodge.

The organizing committee will have a wrap-up meeting soon and discuss initial plans for Dinner on the Bridge in 2014.

McKenzie River Reflections