Old Suspension Bridge

No state plaque stands here; the 1926 bronze is the county's and two parlors'. It names Judge Joseph Lewis for the orange tree, and he also put up most of the money for the bridge. Its ironwork came from Troy, New York, around Cape Horn, and it crossed the Middle Fork of the Feather River. With Lake Oroville coming, crews took the bridge and its stone toll house apart in the 1960s and rebuilt them here in Bidwell Canyon, where the span still carries walkers. The bronze came too, so its this spot is not the spot.

What the plaque says

To commemorate The Mother Orange Tree of Butte County planted at this spot by Judge Joseph Lewis in 1856 The Bidwell Bar Bridge first suspension bridge of California transported from New York via Cape Horn 1853. Completed 1856. Dedicated to the pioneers of California by the Board of Supervisors of Butte County Gold of Ophir Parlor No 190 N.D.G.W. Argonaut Parlor No 8 N.S.G.W. Nov. 27 1926

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Nevada City — 30 mi
  Gaslamps, brick storefronts, and the Nisenan who are still fighting to be recognized on their own ground.
• Empire Mine State Historic Park — 32 mi
  The oldest, deepest, richest hard-rock gold mine in California, with 367 miles of flooded tunnels underneath.

More markers nearby

• Bidwell's Bar — steps away
• Mother Orange Tree of Butte County — 3.2 mi
• Discovery Site of the Last Yahi Indian — 3.9 mi
• Oregon City — 5.5 mi