Residents on the McKenzie River began asking their County Commissioners for a new bridge to replace the Hendricks Ferry in 1895. The high water and miles-long log drives sometimes made the ferry schedule unpredictable. Some residents wanted a bridge and some wanted improvements on the road up river instead. The compromise came when the County Commissioner’s Court partly agreed to build the bridge, provided “all materials to be used in the construction, except iron and paint, are furnished by the citizens.” — The Eugene Guard, 23 Jan, 1906