Pat and I left shortly after 8am yesterday bound for Costco, located in Clarkston Washington... I almost always say we are going to Lewiston, Idaho, because it use to be that all of the major businesses were in Lewiston...But now Costco and Walmart are in WA... Nice for us because by showing and recording the number on our Oregon drivers license we don't have to pay the sales tax on everything we buy...Food is exempt under WA law...We still pay tax on alcohol and any food consumed on the premises...Anyway Pat was on a mission, buying supplies for the BBQ that she and Brian are hosting, at Wallowa Lake in celebration of the completion of the remodel on their "Cabin".
Pat and I met as volunteers at "Mule Days" last September and found that we enjoy doing some of the same things and have a good time while we are together...Pat was driving Brian's pickup this morning and we enjoyed our drive through forests and hills, with wildflowers blooming profusely...We spent almost two hours in Costco, filling a "flat cart" with all the heavy stuff, and then finish up with the smaller carts...Shared a lunch of a chicken roll and ice cream on a stick, dipped in chocolate and nuts...Yummy!..A stop at Walmart and Joann's and we retraced our route and arrived back in Joseph about 4pm..
I regrouped, did scrabble, visited with Herb about his day, threw a salad together, picked up my neighbor Shirley and went to our sorority meeting...Enjoyed a potluck supper, finished up our meeting at 9pm and home to crash after a long day. ~OWAV:)
FOOT BRIDGE TO BARTON HEIGHTS
 |
| Barton Heights Footbridge |
A small mill once sat beside the Wallowa River not far below the Wallowa Lake dam. I imagine they milled lumber for some of the surrounding houses and barns. Above the river in the early 1900’s one to five acre parcels were sold and Joseph’s first subdivision was formed with houses soon to follow. With surplus lumber a footbridge was built from the mill spanning both the irrigation ditch and the river to a trail leading to Barton Heights. By using this bridge the people had fast and easy access to the town of Joseph.
Jumping ahead many years to 1973, the year we arrived in Joseph, the bridge still standing and usable was in a state of disrepair. Our children walked over it every morning on their way to school. Now, what was left of the old millpond was a frog pond where our son spent many hours with his new friends catching frogs. A perfect playground for little boys.
We worried about the rickety bridge, but until we received a letter from Joseph City didn’t really think about doing anything about it. It seems that because the bridge joined our land to the city we were responsible for it and had to do something about it. After talking with our neighbors we decided to attend a city council meeting and stressed the importance of the bridge, not only for our convenience but the historical side of it as well. They agreed to let us use a CETA crew for the labor and the lumber was donated by Monschke’s mill. Down came the old bridge with the high span and two new lower bridges one over the river and the other over the ditch, were built. Everyone on Barton Heights agreed to help with the upkeep and we used the bridge for the next twenty years.
Walking to work in the early morning hours the bridge became a special place for me. I loved to stand on it listening to the leaves rustle in the breeze, the water rushing beneath my feet. Maybe a squirrel or a bird would bid me good morning as the sun brightened my path.
But things started changing on and near the bridge, parts of the railing were pulling off and sometimes it would get vandalized. It was harder and harder to keep it repaired so it would be safe. When I walked home from work there were signs along the river of small campfires, cigarette butts, beer cans and garbage. I started carrying a bag to pick up the litter on my way home from work. We put up no trespassing signs but they did no good. It wasn’t the same place and I started walking by way of the road. It seemed inevitable that this bridge also would have to come down. After shedding many tears I talked to the city officials. They volunteered to tear the bridge down and burn the lumber. So now the road is the only way to Main Street. I can take the trail down to the river where it is again quiet and peaceful without any garbage strewn about and I know that tearing down the bridge was the right thing to do although it still brings a tear to my eye.
No comments:
Post a Comment