SEQUIM — The historic stature of the Dungeness River Railroad Bridge has been highlighted for visitors by a new plaque commemorating the span’s placement on the National Register of Historic Places.
The plaque was unveiled Saturday afternoon during the 16th annual Dungeness River Festival at Railroad Bridge Park.
The plaque reads “The Dungeness River Railroad Bridge, built 1915, has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior on July 16, 1982.
The plaque was unveiled at the River Stage by Clare Manis Hatler in front of a crowd of about 75 people.
“I was on the Washington State Advisory Council on Historic Registration back in 1980,” she said during the ceremony.
“Our council put the bridge on the National Register of Historic Places, and this is a plaque that designates this as a historic bridge.”
The plaque also celebrates the latest incarnation of the historic crossing as a vital link of the Olympic Discovery Trail and its centennial anniversary.
Milwaukee Road
The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad — also referred to as the Milwaukee Road — built the bridge in the summer of 1915.
About 3,000 people attended the festival Friday and Saturday, sponsored by the Dungeness River Audubon Center, the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society and the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe, which owns the park and the bridge, event organizers said.
The Olympic Driftwood Sculptors’ seventh annual art show was held Saturday and Sunday at the Dungeness River Audubon Center in conjunction with the festival.
“Although the railroad no longer runs over it, the bridge remains an important centerpiece of the Olympic Discovery Trail, drawing visitors from all over the world for birding, walking, running and biking through this scenic park,” city of Sequim Mayor Candace Pratt said during the unveiling ceremony.
“The importance of the bridge was driven home for all of this year as it was damaged. It has been sorely missed as a gem.”
Storm damage
The bridge is closed to through traffic because the western trestle was damaged by a flood during a February storm.
A $1.53 million project funded through the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe to construct a new 750-foot-trestle over the river began earlier this month and is expected to be completed in December.
“On behalf of the citizens of Sequim, the Dungeness Valley and the tourists, I extend a heartfelt thank you to the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe for their commitment to repairing the bridge trestle,” Pratt said.
“The repairs will help to ensure the Dungeness Railroad Bridge will be here for many years to come so we can cross over its path and appreciate the river, the history and the beauty of this magnificent bridge.”
W. Ron Allen, Tribal Council chairman, said the new trestle will benefit the natural flow of the river.
The new trestle will include “what we consider a progressive modern way of how to bridge rivers . . . in a way that is respectful of the environment. It will be state of the art.”
He also took a moment to thank the community members who attended the ceremony.
“Celebrating the bridge and the park and what we are doing here together is very important to each and every one of us,” he said.
“We thank you all who are here to celebrate this event. We hope you enjoy it and keep coming back for all kinds of different events, whether it is educational or cultural events.”
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
