Folsom's Historic Truss Bridge

This bridge was originally built across the American River in 1893 replacing the Ecklon Toll Bridge, a suspension bridge that had collapsed the year before. It was used for carrying horses, wagons, and livestock across the American River. At that time, some said it was the finest bridge in the country. For the first few years there were few automobiles that needed to cross its narrow span and it was not designed to carry the weight but after the turn of the century the need for a bridge for automobiles became more evident. The Truss Bridge was abandoned in 1917 when the Rainbow Bridge opened.

The bridge was originally to be shipped to Japan, however the war intervened, and the bridge remained untouched until 1930. The bridge remained in place until the State of California bought it for $250 and moved it to Siskiyou County as a crossing on the Klamath River. From 1930 until the late 1990's it was known as Walker Bridge, as it spanned the Klamath on Walker Road. When Siskiyou County decided they no longer needed the bridge in 1998, Folsom bought it back. The original footings were still in place but they and the bridge were totally rebuilt and reinstalled. On April 15, 2000 it was reopened for public use as a bicycle and pedestrian bridge. In recognition that its original design was not for automobiles, there is a sign on each end of the bridge which reads "$5 fine for driving over this bridge faster than a walk. $25 fine for driving more than 20 head of horses, 50 head of cattle or 200 sheep, hogs or goats over this bridge at one time."

Click Here to see an interesting 'Before and After' shot of the truss bridge.