SELAH BRIDGE

The bridge was built to connect North Yakima with East Selah. At the time there was no Yakima Canyon road, as this was built in 1924. If someone from East Selah wanted to go to North Yakima they would either travel down Resthaven Road to the Moxee Bridge or cross over this bridge, go under the NP bridge and then cross the Natches on the lower Selah bridge just 100 ft from the NP (BNSF) bridge. November 17,1906 changed things when a flood took out many of Yakima’s bridges. the NP rail bridge survived as it was a year earlier rebuilt with steel although the approach was washed out. This bridge also survived but……..

Yakima River from Yakima Trolley track.  BNSF tracks, below,  are hidden by the bank.  Mouse over picture to see the bridge in 1906 just after the November flood took out many of Yakima’s bridges.  This bridge was spared but the river decided to flow around the bridge.  However with the Naches bridge being destroyed both access points were destroyed and hence the bridge was abandoned. Please note the island in the color picture is not the same island in the b/w pic.

The bridge prior to November 17 1906 flood.  The men seen in the picture appear to be trying to dislodge the log jam.  

The year is 1909 and still the orphaned bridge survives.  In a picture dated 1922 the bridge is gone and the Yakima River still flows around its north east approach.