APTOS
Valencia Creek
November 8, 1862: "Report from the Committee on Aptos Bridge was received. The Board ordered that $1,500 be allowed for building said bridge." (Santa Cruz Weekly Sentinel)
January 23, 1889: "Chas. Kaye has finished the repairing of the bridge at Aptos. The bridge is fifty-two feet high, and during the repairing teams passed over it as usual. Abutments were taken out, cords spliced and other work done." (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
November 6, 1897: "Tuesday, Nov. 2, 1897. Board met pursuant to adjournment.
Present:- Supervisors Esty, Collins, Linscott, Rambo, Enright and the Clerk.
The Board as committee of the whole having inspected the bridge at Aptos the following report is read and filed:
Hon. Board of Supervisors, Santa Cruz County, Cal.--Gentlemen:--herewith I beg to submit to you my report on Aptos Bridge.
I find that the crib bulkhead is giving away, and in doing so has forced the corbels on eastern end of bridge about eighteen inches out of their proper bearing, also showing the ends of the lower chard at this place badly rotted.
The present bridge being of the Smith truss type, making the tension members of wood take a shearing or splitting strain along its fibres at the shoulders. I find this shoulder split and cracked in a number of instances, seriously affecting the strength of the bridge. The bridge at present is less than half the strength of what it was originally calculated for. The bridge could be given a safe life of five years longer approximately by transforming the truss into a Howe truss pattern. This would change the present dangerous tension members, in which weather cracks and the life of timber is not such an important element. The joists and especially the floor of the bridge is in need of removal.
The cost of repairing present bridge I would estimate as follows:
Repairing bulkhead $350.00
Repairing truss 500.00
Renewing joists 55.00
Renewing floor 100.00
Total $1005.00 Respectfully submitted, F.D. Elwell, Eng.
In the matter of the bridge at Valencia creek. It is now ordered that E.D. Perry, Co. Surveyor, prepare a profile of the crossing at Valencia creek and forward the same to F.D. Elwell, Civil Engineer, who is hereby appointed to prepare plans and specifications for a new bridge." (Santa Cruz Surf)
January 27, 1903: "In the matter of the Aptos bridge.
Upon motion, duly seconded, it is ordered that N. Mosher be and is hereby appointed Superintendent of Construction of said bridge, compensation to be 2 1/2 per cent of construction." & "In the matter of the Aptos bridge. G.N. Simmons, to whom the contract for building said bridge was awarded, now presents a form of contract to the Board which is read. Supervisor Linscott moves that the proposed contract be changed so as to give the contractor until June 8, 1903, to complete said bridge." (Evening Sentinel)
February 16, 1903: "A.P. Stanton is up from Aptos and reports that work has been commenced on the new Aptos bridge." (Santa Cruz Surf)
June 4, 1903: "The frame work of the Aptos bridge is completed and a part of the flooring down. The bridge is just a few feet south of the old covered bridge, and which was condemned some time ago as having passed the day of its strength." (Santa Cruz Sentinel)