Built in 1945, the South Fork Santiam River Covered Bridge, also known as the Short Bridge is best known for being one of the last remaining spans in the county to have a wooden shingle roof. Most of the others designed in this style were already demolished or replaced with a different material for roofing, mostly due to rotting or dilapidation.

Aside from that, the South Fork Santiam River Covered Bridge is also the last surviving roofed spans in all of the river?s length. There used to be a couple up and down stream, but they?re not of existence anymore. Being the most eastern covered span in all of Linn County, it was initially called the Whiskey Butte Bridge. It was then renamed to Short Bridge after Gordon Short, who was a long-time resident in the area.