Upper Applegate community decks out historic McKee covered bridge for the holidays

Published 2:30 pm Wednesday, December 13, 2023

If you go The bridge is located about 15 miles southwest of Jacksonville. Take Highway 238 from Jacksonville to Ruch, then go about 8.5 miles south on Upper Applegate Road to the bridge. More information is available at

mckeebridge.org

, the historical society’s website. The historical society also has a Facebook site. Donations are accepted, and memberships are available.

About 20 members of the greater Upper Applegate neighborhood came together Saturday to once again deck out the historic McKee Bridge for the holidays.

They hung lights, greenery and other decorations to make a first-class display in preparation for the fifth annual “Christmas on a Covered Bridge,” which is set for noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16. The bridge is about 8.5 miles south of Ruch, just off of Upper Applegate Road.

The bridge, built in 1917 and rehabilitated about eight years ago, will remain illuminated with holiday lights into the new year.

“It’s remarkable it’s still standing and still in such incredibly good condition,” said Laura Ahearn, president of the McKee Bridge Historical Society. “The environs of McKee Bridge from the 1800s to the present have always been a very important meeting place for our community.”

The bridge is adjacent to a U.S. Forest Service day-use picnic area along the Applegate River, a site that served as a Depression-era community kitchen. A stone fireplace built by the Civilian Conservation Corps still stands there, as does a pine timber picnic shelter. Community members decorated the day-use area and the nearby Star Ranger Station as well as the bridge.

The bridge is 45 feet high, 122 feet long and 106 years old. Its “bones” are mostly the original, as is its decking, protected by its shake roof. Repairs slated for next year include heavy planks on an approach walkway and a girder that’s part of the bridge.

The community and its 24-year-old historical society have helped raise money over the years for the bridge’s repair and renovation.

Grants have helped. It’s owned by Jackson County.

“We’re doing everything we can in cooperation with Jackson County to keep the bridge open to the public,” Ahearn said.

Saturday’s celebration is slated to feature free hot drinks and Santa, plus baked goods and crafts for sale, with proceeds funding a $5,000 scholarship pool for local high school seniors going on to college.

“We want to support Applegate students,” Ahearn said. “I want them to be leaders of our community.”

The celebration should not be confused with Hanley Farm’s Winter Wonderland, which is set for 5-9 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, at 1053 Hanley Road in Central Point.

Longtime neighbors and old friends are expected to attend the celebration at the bridge. They include Evelyn Williams, who is a founder of the historical society and lives down the road about a mile. Also expected is Barbara Mumblo, who also is a founding member and was a career Forest Service biologist.

Dale Petrasek, who is a former county roads department engineer and a current treasurer for the historical society, is expected to attend, as is Robert Van Heuit, an engineer and former president of the group. Also expected is an eighth-generation McKee family member, a little girl of about 3 years of age named Emily. The bridge was built on land donated by the McKee family.

The bridge will stay decorated at least until Jan. 6, the Epiphany.

“Then we’ll look for a really warm day to take everything down,” Ahearn said.

Ahearn, a former environmental law attorney, has been president of the historical society for several terms. The bridge is within sight of her home.

“I can see it out my window,” she said.

The bridge serves as a tourist attraction as well as a community meeting place, she said.

“It’s such a treasure to our entire county.”

The bridge is located about 15 miles southwest of Jacksonville. Take Highway 238 from Jacksonville to Ruch, then go about 8.5 miles south on Upper Applegate Road to the bridge. More information is available at mckeebridge.org, the historical society’s website. The historical society also has a Facebook site. Donations are accepted, and memberships are available.