- 1867: 10 miles completed between Tomah and Warren, Wisconsin by the West Wisconsin Railway
- 1868: 21 miles completed between Warren and Black River Falls, Wisconsin by the West Wisconsin Railway
- 1869: 34 miles completed between Black River Falls and Augusta, Wisconsin by the West Wisconsin Railway
- 1870: 46 miles completed between Augusta and Eau Claire, Wisconsin by the West Wisconsin Railway
- 1871: 44 miles completed between Eau Claire and Hudson, Wisconsin by the West Wisconsin Railway
- 1871: 18 miles completed between St. Paul and Stillwater, Minnesota by the St. Paul, Stillwater & Taylors Falls Railroad
- 1871: 4 miles including St. Croix River Bridge completed between Stillwater Junction, Minnesota and Hudson, Wisconsin by the St. Paul, Stillwater & Taylors Falls Railroad
- 1872: 32 miles completed between Elroy and Warren, Wisconsin by the West Wisconsin Railway
- 1872: 10 miles abandoned between Warren and Tomah, Wisconsin by the West Wisconsin Railway
- 1878: West Wisconsin Railway acquired by Chicago, St. Paul & Minneapolis Railway
- 1880: Chicago, St. Paul & Minneapolis Railway acquired by Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway
- 1880: St. Paul, Stillwater & Taylors Falls Railroad acquired by St. Paul & Sioux City Railroad
- 1881: St. Paul & Sioux City Railroad acquired by Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway
- 1881: New St. Croix River Bridge and realignment at Hudson
- 1883: The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway is controlled by the Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1884: 16 miles completed between Wyeville and Necedah, Wisconsin by the Princeton and Western Railway
- 1902: Realignment around Black River Falls to reduce grades
- 1911: 125 miles completed from Necedah to Butler, Wisconsin by the Milwaukee, Sparta & North Western Railway
- Connection at Wyeville allows for faster travel between the Twin Cities, Milwaukee and Chicago
- 1911: Second track completed from Wyeville to Menomonie, including realignment at Eau Claire
- 1912: Second track completed from Menomonie to Knapp
- 1912: Princeton and Western acquired by the Milwaukee, Sparta & North Western Railway
- 1912: MS&NW acquired by the Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1913: Second track completed from Knapp to St. Paul
- 1915: Original bridge at Black River Falls removed
- 1957: The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway is leased by the Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1957-62: Second track mostly removed from Wyeville to St. Paul
- 1971: Sheppard to Black River Falls spur abandoned
- 1972: The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway is fully absorbed by the Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1986: Levis to Black River Falls spur abandoned
- 1987: Camp Douglas to Elroy segment abandoned and purchased by Juneau County for trail use
- 1992: Omaha Trail opens between Camp Douglas and Elroy
- 1992: Original alignment through Eau Claire is abandoned
- 1995: Chicago & North Western purchased by Union Pacific Railroad
- 2015: Original bridge at Eau Claire opens to pedestrians
- 1995-Present: Union Pacific operates the Altoona Subdivision from St. Paul to Altoona
- 1995-Present: Union Pacific operates the Wyeville Subdivision from Altoona to Adams
- 1995-Present: Union Pacific owns the Camp Douglas Industrial Lead from Wyeville to Camp Douglas
08/20/21
This unique bridge sits on the west end of Fall Creek, near a park at Fall Creek Millpond.
It can vaguely be seen from US-12, although not well. That is how the author found this bridge, and it came as a complete surprise.
The bridge consists of two parts. The 90' Pony truss is the more significant part. It consists of heavy diagonals, and heavy riveting.
Considering the reported date is 1898 for this span, it is certainly far heavier than expected for the time period. This also would've been one of the first built up pony trusses designed for railroad use.
The heavy connections would certainly suggest a later build date, although Lassig was known for exceptional modern and groundbreaking engineering.
The deck girder span is much more basic, although it has some extra support on the west end. This could possibly make this unique bridge a candidate for replacement.
Historic photo of the bridge
The bridge has been ranked as moderately significant due to the innovative design seen in the pony truss. In addition, the expansion is an alteration that could be considered historic itself.
The photo above is an overview.