SIERRA CITY — Just two weeks ago, the Sierra County Historical Society (SCHS) found that Sierra County did not have the necessary grant funding to accept a bid to rebuild the historic Kentucky Mine trestle bridge, a staple of the county’s preserved mining history. Two years ago, the trestle was declared unsafe for pedestrians, ending tours where visitors could follow the historical route of ore as it was mined. In the two short weeks since the unfortunate news, the SCHS raised $41,000 in donations to supplement the county’s grant funding, sending a strong message to the Board that community members highly value the trestle.
At Tuesday’s meeting of the Sierra County Board of Supervisors, the Board heard from SCHS President Jan Hamilton, who pleaded the case for the county to find additional funding to complete the rebuild. Board members, citing the incredible fundraising effort by SCHS, were highly supportive of the effort and accepted the lowest bid of $240,000 from ICOR, Inc. Previously available grant money, which expires in December, will cover roughly half of the project. With the help of the money raised by the SCHS, the county believes it can find additional funding in the budget from over-allocated areas to make up the difference.
Hamilton and SCHS Director Bill Copren were thankful for the Board’s support of the project and willingness to find the funding. However, they stressed that they would continue to fundraise to lessen any potential impact on the county. SCHS will continue to ask for donations until the fast-approaching fundraising deadline of December 1. Donations can be made online at sierracountyhistory.org or by sending a check to:
Sierra County Historical Society
PO Box 260
Sierra City, CA 96125