PARK'S FREE (5TH STREET)
Feather River
February 26, 1859: "The Senate refused to consider the vote by which the bill authorizing the Board of Supervisors of Sutter county to construct a bridge across Feather River was passed." (Auburn Placer Herald)
September 13, 1859: "TO BRIDGE BUILDERS. Notice is hereby given that the Board of Supervisors of Sutter county will receive at the Clerk's office, in Yuba City, until 1 o'clock p.m., on Wednesday, the 21st day of September, A.D. 1859, plans and specifications for the construction of a bridge across Feather river (without a draw) at Yuba City, in accordance with an act of the Legislature of the State of California, entitled 'An Act to authorize the Board of Supervisors of Sutter county to construct a bridge across Feather river,' approved April 11th, 1859. A reasonable price will be paid for the plan accepted. O.E. Wilcoxon, Clerk Board of Supervisors. Yuba City, August 22nd, 1859." (Sacramento Daily Union)
1863: The covered bridge over the Feather River was built.
October 23, 1891: "In a report published in the Appeal this morning relative to the approach to the Feather river bridge, the language is such as to leave the impression that an approach must be built at once to retain the travel from Sutter county. It will be remembered that at a joint meeting of the Supervisors of Sutter and Yuba counties held on the 28th of last month a contract was let to B. McMahon & Son, bridge builders, to erect two spans of one hundred feet each, of Howe truss bridge at a cost of $9,850. These two spans are to extend to the east, joining the east end of the present covered bridge, which leave a space between the east end of the new Howe truss, when built, and the Fifth Street grade as it now stands of 382 feet. It is the latter that the City Council are to provide for, as mentioned at the meeting last night, and for which the Council have advertised for proposals to build. The distance from the east end of the present covered bridge to the present Fifth street grade is 580 feet, of which the county have let a contract as above stated to cover 198 feet, which when built will be joined by a new structure extending to the grade and paid for by the city. This will make all of the 580 feet new, which is deemed to be economy and better than to try to patch up the old approach, and then all can be on a more even grade and superior in every respect. Work on the two spans of Howe truss will be commenced next week, and under terms of the contract must be finished in 45 days, then the city extension must join it." (Marysville Evening Democrat)
November 12, 1940: "From 1862 until 1906, Marysville and Yuba City were united by a two compartment covered wagon bridge, on which also the old mule-car tram line operated. The coming of electric trains necessitated a new bridge, which id the present one." & "Two years after the Marysville Appeal was launched on its long career of usefulness to the community, another useful adjunct of the twin cities came into being. It was the two-way wooden covered wagon bridge over the Feather river. This bridge served until 1906, when it was replaced by the present steel structure to accommodate the electric trains and vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
The old bridge was in prefect condition at the time it was removed. Its wooden sides and shake roof protected it from the weather, and its timbers were still sound when taken apart.
Its successor, once called a 'monumental' structure, has now been outgrown and its replacement with a four-lane bridge is being urged as a means to prevent delays in traffic, which are of frequent occurrence. The present bridge is generally admitted to be woefully inadequate." (Appeal-Democrat)