PRESTON
Russian River
March 2, 2003: November 1872: The 168-foot long, 20-foot wide, 18-foot high covered bridge completed. Built by Pacific Bridge of San Francisco for the price of $5,543. (Ukiah Daily Journal)
April 30, 1880: "Chas. Cook of Cloverdale, says that the fine covered bridge across Russian River is settling down on the east abutment." (Petaluma Weekly Argus)
May 7, 1880: "Kleiser states that the covered bridge across Russian river, near Cloverdale, rests on a mass of huge rocks and mud, which for years past has been slowly slipping into the river." (Petaluma Weekly Argus)
January 27, 1890: "The receding of the Russian river is doing more damage than its rising. The covered bridge at Preston's has broken away from the east-side pier and is liable to fall." (Daily Alta California)
February 21, 1890: "The covered bridge at Preston's is badly in need of repairs. In fact if it is not attended to at once there is danger of it falling, which would be a great calamity. By attending to the damage and repairing it now it can be saved, but neglecting it will be serious in its results." (Ukiah Daily Journal)
September 19, 1895: "The bondsmen of G.W. Kneller, who had the contract for building the pier under Preston bridge, were released from the bond, the contract withdrawn and the clerk instructed to advertise for new bids for the erection of a wooden pier with concrete foundation." (Healdsburg Tribune, Enterprise and Scimitar)
June 20, 1901: "Lee D. Green, son of the decreased capitalist, Warren Green, was severely injured in a runaway yesterday. He conducts a general merchandise store at Preston, a small town north of Cloverdale. His horse became frightened on a covered bridge on Russian River and he was thrown over the grade and fell on rocks below. His left arm was broken at the elbow." (San Francisco Call)
October 10, 1901: "What is known as the covered bridge near Preston is to be repaired and some strengthening rods and other improvements added. The bridge is in need of the repairs." (Press Democrat)
October 10, 1907: "Preston bridge has to be repaired and Supervisor Pattieson was allowed to expend $2,000 for the repair of the same." (Press Democrat)
March 1, 1918: "There has been some complaint as to the danger of passing cars at the west end of the big covered bridge crossing Russian river at Preston. Mr. Goddard and Mr. Murray inspected the bridge entrance, and decided to make a cut in the hill at that point, and to widen the roadway several feet by this means." (Petaluma Daily Morning Courier)
October 26, 1933: "The old covered bridge across the Russian river at Preston, north of Cloverdale, one of the last remaining spans of its kind in the state, is to be moved intact to another location, 40 feet from its present site, next week.
The moving of the old structure was made necessary to make way for the new bridge to be built as a part of the rerouting of the Redwood highway between Cloverdale and Hopland. The old bridge is 170 feet long and but little difficulty is expected in picking it up and putting it down again." (The Healdsburg Enterprise)
October 28, 1933: "While the west end of the old covered bridge at Preston is being shifted, travel across the Russian river at this point will be closed for several days over this weekend. The span will be moved 15 feet down stream to provide sufficient clearance for the new bridge that contractors are building to replace the old one." (The Healdsburg Tribune)
February 9, 1934: "On next Monday work will start on the new bridge across the Russian river at Preston, on the new Cloverdale-Hopland highway to take the place of the old time wooden covered bridge." (Petaluma Argus-Courier)
April 26, 1934: "The old covered bridge, for nearly 70 years the crossing place over the Russian river at Preston, is a mass of wreckage at the bottom of the river, collapsing Tuesday morning while workmen were razing the structure.
Workmen were engaged in pulling up the plank flooring of the old landmark with a tractor, and the entire structure collapsed into the bed of the stream, pulling the tractor in with it. That none of the workers were hurt seems almost a miracle.
Some months ago the old covered bridge was moved about 20 feet from its old position to allow construction of the new span on the rerouted Redwood highway between Cloverdale and Hopland. It was used while the new span, thrown open for traffic early this week, was being constructed.
Marvin Donahue is said to have built the structure, and many and varied are the vehicles that have crossed it during its span of usefulness. Ox-drawn wagons, horse-drawn vehicles, gasoline and steam propelled buggies of the early vintage and of the most modern type have crossed the old covered bridge with its more than 100-foot span that has withstood the winds and storms for its many years." (The Healdsburg Enterprse