The line would be extended to Pequot in 1876. By 1881, the railroad would become part of the Chicago, St. Louis and Western Railroad.
By 1885, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway would purchase the C&StL as part of a project to connect Kansas City to Chicago.
It would be merged into the subsidiary Chicago, Santa Fe and California Railway.
The line would be extended to Chicago by 1885, using the B&O Depot.
In 1888, the line would be extended from Ancona to Fort Madison, Iowa. This also included a new crossing of the Mississippi River at Fort Madison; and crossing of the Illinois River at Chillicothe.
In 1900, the subsidiary was fully merged into the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. The ATSF system expanded to the west and southwest United States.
Between 1905 and 1911, the line would be double tracked from Chicago heading westward. The new line was important for freight heading from Iowa and Missouri to Chicago.
While the line provided a solid freight base, ATSF began to struggle. Through the era of mergers, there were a few attempted mergers.
Finally, the line merged with Burlington Northern Railway to form BNSF Railway in 1996. Today, this line is owned by BNSF and known as the Chillicothe Subdivision.
07/17/21
Located in the town of Lemont, this small through girder bridge crosses Stephen Street near the swing bridge.
Built in 1898, this bridge features a single through plate girder span, set onto stone and concrete substructures. In addition, the bridge is skewed.
This type of bridge was common for late 1890s grade separations. Both tracks are still in use.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with some minor deterioration. It appears a new floor was added to the bridge at some point.
The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.