McKee Bridge Historical Society will once again dress up McKee Bridge with greenery, garland and glistening lights to celebrate the 2021 holidays. Star Ranger Station and the 1936 community kitchen at the picnic grounds will be decorated and lighted too. Everyone is invited to visit from December 17 through New Year’s Day and enjoy the sparkling scene.

Christmas on a Covered Bridge, Saturday, December 18—Keep an eye on www.mckeebridge.org/events or the MBHS Facebook page for details about our special event, “Christmas on a Covered Bridge,” on December 18. We can promise you entertainment by the ROCS orchestra, unique gift shopping, and an AMAZING bake sale. We’ll feature recipes handed down from the Applegate’s earliest pioneer families. How about trying Mollie Ray’s Christmas Carrot Pudding? We bet this recipe originated with her grandmother Mary Buckley who emigrated to Oregon in 1851.

Here are some 2021 happenings we’ll celebrate this holiday season:

  • In the Spring, we installed a sturdy 120V AC power station. Volunteers no longer need to babysit noisy generators to illuminate the holiday display. We’ll keep the lights on from dusk to 10pm with no refueling, no frostbite, and no disappointing darkness!
  • We launched www.mckeebridge.org with a Virtual Museum containing almost 1000 photos and relics, keyed to a map of the Applegate watershed.
  • MBHS received several grants to install interpretive panels at the bridge and at Logtown Cemetery to repair historically significant grave markers. The first project is now complete, preserving the story of freed slaves who emigrated to Jackson County in 1853.
  • McKee Bridge was transformed into an art gallery on September 12, bedecked with antique quilts, needlework, paintings, and a special exhibit by the Rogue Valley Genealogical Society. Students from Ruch Outdoor Community School put on a colorful display including quilts fashioned from paper.
  • McKee Bridge passed her mandatory inspection in October. Although minor work is required, we’re now confident the bridge will remain open to the public for the next six years. MBHS pays for these inspections and performs ongoing maintenance.

For more information about these events and McKee Bridge Historical Society, please visit www.mckeebridge.org.