FELTON
San Lorenzo River
1892: The new covered bridge, completed, was accepted by the supervisors on October 4, 1892. The contracted price being $4677. (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
December 17, 1907: "Supervisor Jacob Hartman has had the roof of the covered bridge across the San Lorenzo at Felton repaired under the direction of Joseph Ball, former Supervisor. Mr. Ball put 1,500 shakes in the new roof.
The floor of this bridge, which was put in under Supervisor Rodgers' term of office, 15 years ago, is still intact and has never been repaired, which is a tribute both to the quality of the lumber used and the covered bridge idea." (Santa Cruz Evening News)
August 17, 1932: "Earl Gilbert of San Jose, who died here from injuries suffered Sunday in an automobile accident near Felton, was the driver of an automobile which which and killed Mrs. Anna E. Saunders of Santa Cruz on the highway at Arana gulch, east of the city limits, a year ago, authorities revealed today.
Gilbert was fatally injured when a roadster in which he was riding, and which was driven by Lloyd La Hue of San Jose, crashed into a guard railing of a covered bridge near Felton and turned over." (Oakland Tribune)
August 24, 1934: "Santa Cruz county has a number of antiquated bridges. There is that historic old relic---the covered bridge---at Felton. Every time a heavily-loaded truck crosses the covered bridge it gets spooky. It creaks, and groans and acts like it was about to pass all in." (Santa Cruz Evening News)
September 24, 1937: "When the News assured anxious Feltonites and historically minded Santa Cruzans more than a month ago that the ancient covered bridge at Felton would be spared by county authorities in the erection of a modern span across the San Lorenzo, the report met with prompt denial by another publication.
Yesterday the board of supervisors in ordering preparation of plans and specifications for a new Felton span gave definite assurance that the old covered bridge would not be destroyed." (Santa Cruz Evening News)
October 28, 1937: "Hope of getting work well along before the advent of rains has spurred Leo Caldwell, contractor, to a rapid stride in his construction of the new Felton bridge.
Already, men are at work pouring concrete for the huge piers which will hold the big bridge crossing the San Lorenzo about 400 yards north of the old covered bridge.
Piles have been placed in position to hold the forms.
Standing at the junction of San Lorenzo River drive and the Mount Hermon road, near the Felton garage, one can see the straight-line shoot which will connect the new bridge with the big county bridge over the railroad tracks west of Mount Hermon.
It will be a straight road from the railroad bridge into Felton, thus eliminating the two extreme curves which connected the old road with Felton by way of the covered bridge. Present plans call for the roping off of the old covered bridge, which will be left standing." (Santa Cruz Evening News)
September 1, 1949: "The Felton covered bridge, one of three in the county and 32 in the state, has spanned the San Lorenzo river for 57 years. It served horse and buggy drivers and later motorists until a new bridge was erected in 1938. Now the landmark, one of Santa Cruz county's greatest historical assets, needs restoration. The San Lorenzo valley chamber of commerce is starting a restoration fund drive." (Santa Cruz Sentinel)