The Golden Bears of Klamath, California

Rumor has it these bears weren’t always gold. In 1964 the original bridge was washed away in a flood. It was rebuilt in 1965 with new concrete bears marking its entry.

One night, a group of locals were having a drink at a pub and decided the town needed some sprucing up. They grab brooms and trash cans and went out and cleaned up the downtown area.

One fella announced he had some gold paint in his shed and they should paint the bears gold. So they did.

Over time, the Highway Department would restore the bears to their original concrete look and each time The Golden Bear Club would paint them gold again.

Finally, the Highway Dept decided that’s what the locals wanted and joined the spirit of the club.

Photo by me 9 Jan 2022