The Nutty Narrows Squirrel Bridge . . .

he other day I was in town taking pictures of the lake and surrounding areas
because it really is a beautiful town. I’ll have to do the post on it later
because while doing that I decided I HAD to show the Nutty Narrows Squirrel
Bridge since all of the gardening bloggers love critters too.
I knew the basic facts about the bridge but thought I’d google it and see what else I could
find out. I found the story to be very touching and
interesting.
Apparently people working downtown would leave nuts and
treats for the squirrels and they would have to cross busy streets to get to
their buffet. It seems that while sitting in his office contractor Amos Peters
saw one too many squirrels get killed and decided to build a bridge for
them.
The bridge was designed by architects Robert Newhall and LeRoy Dahl, engineered by
Donald Kramer, and built by Amos Peters and Bill Hutch in 1963. It is designed
to look like a tiny suspension bridge and has a deck wide enough for squirrel
traffic only. It was hoisted over the road between two huge oak trees. It was 60
feet wide and fashioned from aluminum and a length of retired fire hose. Total
cost of construction was $1,000.
It has the title of the "World's Narrowest Bridge" and also the "World's Narrowest Animal Crossing." The Nutty
Narrows obtained its name by a local councilwoman who named it after the Tacoma
Narrows Bridge.
The squirrels immediately took to the bridge and were later seen teaching their
young how to use it.
The bridge became widely known and had write-ups in
newspapers around the world. People sent Peters fan mail and bags of nuts. One
man wrote, "Little men take time to cater to big people who might do them good.
Only big men pause to aid little creatures" (City of Longview
website).
In 1983 Peters took down the bridge and made repairs,
crosspieces were replaced, and the sign was repainted. The bridge was
re-dedicated with special guests Chip 'n' Dale and Mickey Mouse from Disneyland,
as well as 300 children, and various Longview dignitaries.
After Peters died, a large wooden squirrel was placed near the spot of the original bridge to
commemorate his vision and concern for the small creatures of the earth. In 2005
the bridge had to be moved about 100 yards east, since its anchorages (the oak
trees) were infested with mites and dying.