The Bridge of the Gods (What's in a Name, part 2)
Pacific Northwest September Travelog #12
Stevenson, WA - Mon, 5 Sep 2022, 9am
The other day I asked, "What's in a name?" as I wrote about Gifford Pinchot and the local political candidate whose slogan is Stinky 4 PUD. This morning brought another "Names that make you go huh" moments, though for the opposite reason. We drove across The Bridge of the Gods.
With a name like that you wonder how magnificent this bridge is going to be. Will the surface be an undulating rainbow like in the Thor movies? Will it be gilt in gold and gems? Will it at least be... holy?
Well, the only thing holey about this bridge is the metal grille of its road deck. It's a fairly standard steel truss/cantilever bridge. Built originally in 1926, it was rebuilt higher and wider in 1938 after the construction of the Bonneville Dam a bit downriver.
So, how does such a standard (if slightly old for US highways) bridge get such a legendary name? The name comes from Native American history. When a huge landslide occurred hundreds of years ago it dammed the Columbia River for a time, creating a land bridge across. Much of the land from the landslide is still visible in the area, especially on the Washington side. Modern scientific methods estimate the date of the landslide at between 900-1000 years ago and the size of the lake created behind it 150 miles long before the force of the water broke the debris open.
Stevenson, WA - Mon, 5 Sep 2022, 9am
The other day I asked, "What's in a name?" as I wrote about Gifford Pinchot and the local political candidate whose slogan is Stinky 4 PUD. This morning brought another "Names that make you go huh" moments, though for the opposite reason. We drove across The Bridge of the Gods.
With a name like that you wonder how magnificent this bridge is going to be. Will the surface be an undulating rainbow like in the Thor movies? Will it be gilt in gold and gems? Will it at least be... holy?
Click to viewWell, the only thing holey about this bridge is the metal grille of its road deck. It's a fairly standard steel truss/cantilever bridge. Built originally in 1926, it was rebuilt higher and wider in 1938 after the construction of the Bonneville Dam a bit downriver.
So, how does such a standard (if slightly old for US highways) bridge get such a legendary name? The name comes from Native American history. When a huge landslide occurred hundreds of years ago it dammed the Columbia River for a time, creating a land bridge across. Much of the land from the landslide is still visible in the area, especially on the Washington side. Modern scientific methods estimate the date of the landslide at between 900-1000 years ago and the size of the lake created behind it 150 miles long before the force of the water broke the debris open.