It was an unexpectedly warm Sunday along the Russian River at Memorial Beach Regional Park on Labor Day weekend, and David and Kimberly Lockhart were glad they had decided to throw a party.
Said David Lockhart, “I remember seeing photos of the historical bridge and then 1940s women [straddling] the wine barrel—and it’s just such an iconic image of the bridge.” Then he thought about “how cool it would be to do it now, while the river was full and the railroad bridge was still up.”
So a couple of weeks ago they announced the “Goodbye Bridge Wine Barrel Races” party for Aug. 29 at the beach to try to replicate the iconic visual. They also knew this could be the last weekend that the historic Railroad Bridge—it’s to be taken down next summer—and the Memorial Bridge summer dam were both still in place.
With their River’s Edge Canoe & Kayak property, and support from Moonlight and Fogbelt breweries, they re-enacted the historic riverside revelry as seen in museum photos (of which Henderson seems to have a collection). A patrol of energetic Boy Scouts crewed a heavily roped and knotted wood raft, River’s Edge friends and family filled an inflatable pink swan, and a dozen young folks straddled unsteady wine barrels as individual racers.
“It felt like we were transporting back in time,” said Lockhart, still somewhat giddy two days later. “It was validating just to have people come and enjoy themselves. And it was such a beautiful day. It was clear and sunny, and … it just felt really nice.”
Time however, has a way of moving its own way, in spite of our best efforts to correct or slow its pace. Railroad Bridge is scheduled to be demolished in 2027, if SMART’s plans are carried out, and Kim Lockhart for one is not too happy about it.
“When I passed out flyers for the bye-bye bridge party, more often than not people were surprised to hear that the bridge is coming down next year,” she told the Tribune.
“Their permit is still incomplete, so it hasn’t been approved yet. But it sounds like they’re pulling the information for multiple permits and trying to get everything approved all at the same time.”
Railroad Bridge is currently a three-truss span completed in 1921, though it may have been built on an older bridge. It features a “Camelback” truss design, arcing high over the railroad, and two smaller, squatter Warren trusses, similar to the style SMART has proposed for the eventually rebuilt bridge to carry the regional railway into Healdsburg and beyond.
Since the Lockhart’s business, River’s Edge Kayak & Canoe, is located less than 50 yards downstream from Railroad Bridge, the couple has not only a financial interest in the bridge’s construction but is motivated by accountability, Kim Lockhart said.
“We’re not opposed to replacing the bridge. It’s not a question of if the bridge should be replaced. It’s about how it’s being done without public comment or awareness, that is the problem,” she said.
“It will be low-water conditions and high-decibel noise from pile driving and jackhammers all season long,” she added. “What matters is that the public is given their legal right to weigh in on the construction instead of just having it happen without their knowledge.”
For information visit sonomamarintrain.org/healdsburg
