In a public notice dated Dec. 10,1987, the Humboldt County Department of Public Works has proposed removal of the 70-year-old cattle bridge over Mad River known as the Jack Shaw Bridge.

The cable-suspension bridge spans the Mad River Canyon at the end of Jack Shaw Road, 1.9 miles east of the intersection of that road with Mountain View Road in the Kneeland area.

The notice explained that a “Negative Declaration” and initial study on the bridge has been prepared by the Natural Resources Division of the Department of Public Works and invited interested persons to review the document. The document outlines the role of the bridge in the development of the region in these terms:

The Jack Shaw Bridge replaced the old covered bridge located downstream near the Mountain View Ranch. That bridge, which washed out in 1924, connected the wagon road which ran along the Ashfield Ridge from Kneeland across Chapparral Mountain and into Hyampom. The Jack Shaw Bridge served the entire region. Many ranchers used it to move cattle, turkeys and sheep back and forth. Stock was brought west from the Hyampom area. All stock moved on foot as there were no trucks and roads were poor until the 1930s.

Ranchers also used it for moving supplies. The trail on the left side of the bridge was the first one used, the right side trail was constructed later. The trail going up the mountain to the east was known as the Henbeck Trail and a wagon road also went up the hill.

Roy Fulton and Charlie Johnson used the bridge to move their cattle from pasturage in Kneeland up Wilson Creek to ranges in the Trinity National Forest where they had a grazing permit. The Jack Shaw Bridge also served the community by providing access to gatherings and dances in Iaqua. In the late teens the last wagon groups came through. The Mountain View Resort was a large hotel between 1885 and 1924. A regular stage from downtown Eureka carried people to the resort for a weekend in the country. Many homesteaders, sheepherders and workmen would come down across the Jack Shaw Bridge to the Mountain View Resort for recreation. With the development ofthe Maple Creek Road and its improvements in the 1930s, the bridge wasn’t used as much. It has been approximately 15 to 20 years since the bridge has been used for moving cattle.

The bridge crosses the Mad River at a height of approximately 100 feet above the water. It is currently used for access to the east side of the river by swimmers, fishermen and hunters. The county document explains that property on the east of the bridge is owned by Cal-Hawaii and that this firm strongly recommends removal of the bridge because trespassing by hunters and fishermen presents a fire hazard and liability.

The report concludes that “retaining the bridge would allow only access to the bridge itself for gaining a view shed of the Mad River Canyon. The estimated cost of repairs is approximately $75,000 and no liability protection is ensured. Hence the only feasible alternative is the removal of the bridge.”

According to the report, the purpose of the removal project “is to remove liability from the county. The Jack Shaw Bridge is in poor condition, carries no vehicular traffic and does not connect with a county road.”

The bridge has been closed to vehicles and livestock with the installation of barriers on the west side. The steel barricades have an opening too narrow for most motorcycles, horses, cattle and 4-wheel drive vehicles.

The bridge was built by Humboldt County in about 1918. The contractor was Mr. Padgett. The county report says it may be the oldest suspension bridge in existence in Humboldt County.

The span and road leading to it were named for the late Jack Shaw, owner of the nearby Mountain View Ranch. His daughter, Eleanor Edsell, and her husband, Clarence, now operate the ranch.

Two and a half years later:

A steel plaque to mark the site of the Jack Shaw Suspension Bridge over the Mad River in the Kneeland area was put in place on April 19 by the Humboldt County Historical Society. The plaque, bearing the name and dates of construction (1918) and demolition (1989) of the bridge, was donated by Society member Stanley Hauger of the Eureka Boiler Works. Arrangements for the projects were made by Glen N. Nash, a past president of the Society.

The stainless-steel lettering on the plaque was done by Jack Bull of the Eureka Boiler Works.

The steel plate was welded into place by Mervyn Chapman, a member of the Society. It was placed on one of two remaining steel towers that supported the cables for the bridge. Others on hand to assist with the project were Fred Hibler and Jack Silvey; Society board members, and Society member Clarence Edsall, who owns and operates the nearby Mountain View Ranch with his wife, Eleanor. The bridge and the road to the bridge were named for Eleanor’s father, the late Jack Shaw, who purchased the Mountain View Ranch in 1916.

The cable span replaced an old covered bridge downstream near the Moun- tain View Ranch. The Jack Shaw Bridge served ranchers who used to move cattle, turkeys, and sheep via trails that connected to the east side of the bridge.

The bridge was also used by the community for access to social gatherings in the Iaqua area.

— Jack Silvey

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The pieces above were printed in the January-February 1988 and May-June 1990 issues of the Humboldt Historian, a journal of the Humboldt County Historical Society. They are reprinted here with permission. The Humboldt County Historical Society is a nonprofit organization devoted to archiving, preserving and sharing Humboldt County’s rich history. You can become a member and receive a year’s worth of new issues of The Humboldt Historian at this link.