The Original Bears, U.S. 101, Klamath, California
A hidden part of Northern California history lies just a short distance west of U.S. 101 where it crosses the Klamath River. You’ll see two very impressive Golden Bears on the bridge, and while they are an interesting landmark, the real story is only a few hundred yards west of the bridge on Klamath River Road. Standing quietly in their shadow, just a short distance downstream, are the original Bears that hold the rest of the story…
The original Bears and the story of the Klamath River bridge.
The original bears and the remains of the original bridge.
The story of the flood of 1964.
The original bridge was built about 1925, and stood for almost 40 years. In 1964 a ravaging flood took out the bridge and swept the town of Klamath away, so US 101 was relocated, the current replacement bridge was built, and the town relocated further upstream and away from the river.
These concrete bears and a little bit of the bridge are what remain of the flood, and are really the “original” Bears.
On a personal note, I remember the flood of 1964 and when this WAS the bridge. My grandparents spent their summer at the mouth of the Klamath River in the late 1950’s and early 60’s and we would vacation with them, camping in our trailer at this location. We visited Klamath again in the summer of 1965 and nothing looked familiar.