Conde B. McCullough arrived in Oregon in 1916 to teach engineering at Oregon Agricultural College, now Oregon State University. As one of a new breed of college-educated engineers and a pioneer in the movement for a well-planned American highway system, he became Oregon's State Bridge Engineer in 1919 and boldly led the state's bridge program. He believed bridges should be built efficiently, economically, and aesthetically, and his work was characterized by elegant reinforced concrete arches combined with Gothic, Todor, and Art Deco details. During his 16-year tenure, he was responsible for the design of hundreds of bridges across the state, and many of his structures remain treasured in Oregon today. Before his 360-foot-long reinforced concrete bridge spanned Rocky Creek, a rickety wooden structure crossed the chasm. The Rocky Creek, or Ben Jones, Bridge was built by the H.E. Doering Company of Portland, Oregon, at a cost of about $45,000, with tradesmen constructing it on site and using forms to support the concrete until it set. Dedicated to the memory of Ben Jones, the Rocky Creek Bridge was greeted with great enthusiasm during opening ceremonies on September 17, 1927.