Chow Chow Bridge

Chow Chow Bridge was a wooden structure that spanned the Quinault River with four timber king post trusses connected by steel cables. The bridge stood near Taholah on the reservation and served as a crossing point over the waterway.

Frank Milward designed this first cable-stayed bridge in Washington State for the Aloha Lumber Company, which operated from 1952 until 1988. The structure endured three major collapses during those decades before being dismantled.

The bridge held significant meaning for the Quinault Nation as a crossing point that connected communities on the reservation. Its closure by tribal members in 1971 became a defining moment in their efforts to assert independence and control over their own lands and resources.

The site was located in a forested area of the Quinault Reservation, typical of the Pacific region. Access to the historical location today requires respectful navigation through tribal lands with local awareness.

After the final collapse, the bridge materials were repurposed into cedar shakes for building a new tribal center in Taholah. This transformation gave the old structure a second life in service to the community.