- 1880: 3 mile spur completed from Menomonie Junction to Menomonie, Wisconsin by the Menomonie Railway
- 1882: 3 mile spur constructed from Menomonie Junction to Cedar Falls, Wisconsin
- 1883: The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway is controlled by the Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1893: Menomonie Railway acquired by the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway
- 1902: Cedar Falls spur abandoned
- 1972: The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway is fully absorbed by the Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1995: Chicago & North Western purchased by Union Pacific Railroad
- 2002: Menomonie Spur is abandoned acquired for future use
- 2002-Present: Trail development occurs along route
06/26/21
Crossing the Red Cedar River between downtown Menomonie and the UW Stout Campus is this large truss bridge.
Built in 1892 at separate locations, these two spans were joined in 1921 to replace an older wooden truss bridge.
Like the nearby Wilson Creek Bridge, these trusses are each riveted Quadrangular Through Trusses. One of the two trusses is confirmed to have been relocated from the Red Cedar River Bridge in Rice Lake. A photo of that bridge can be seen here.
Currently, these two spans are abandoned on wooden substructures. The bridge is approached by trestle spans on either side, which were built in 1941, and an I-Beam span crosses the former Milwaukee Road, now the Red Cedar State Trail. The beam span was added in 1951.
The bridge has an unknown future. Maps from the City of Menomonie suggest this bridge will be reused as a trail, and the author hopes this is true. This structure is a large and signature bridge, and would be great for a connection between Downtown Menomonie and the Stout Campus.
Overall, the bridge appears to remain in good condition. However, a proper inspection was not able to be completed due to the nature of this crossing. It is hoped that this bridge will be preserved for years to come, as this is an excellent structure with a very historic nature.
The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the large scale design, relocation history and unknown future.
The photo above is an overview.
| Upstream | UP Red Cedar River Bridge |
| Downstream | Downsville Railroad Bridge |