With 87 acres of clay-rich land, the company just needed a method of shipping. Hence, the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific operated a spur, built as a joint venture between the two parties.
The CRI&P had an existing line through Rockford, and allowed for connections to Cedar Rapids and Mason City, and ultimately Chicago and Saint Paul.
The company ceased operations in 1977, and the land was purchased by Floyd County.
The area is now a county park, which in the author's opinion is a must visit for any day trip. The park offers dramatic views of the pits in which the clay was excavated from, as well as the surrounding areas.
Three years later, the Rock Island Railroad would go belly up, and is now operated by the Iowa Northern Railway.
06/26/21
Located near Rockford, this unique through girder bridge crosses the Winnebago River.
Built in 1910 to serve the Rockford Brick & Tile Company, the bridge consists of three half through girder spans. While most spans on spurs typically came from another location, these spans were unique and did not. The reasoning was that the railroad worried about loading, so they chose to build an entirely new bridge to assure safe operations for heavy loads.
Currently, the bridge consists of the three girders on concrete substructures. The girders are also unique, as they appear to be half girders, instead of true through or deck girders. These are relatively uncommon on railroads.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition. Some significant deterioration has begun of the substructures, and steps should be taken to address this.
The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the newer age, despite the unique design of the bridge.
The photo above is an overview. A special thank you goes out to Luke Harden for finding information on this bridge.
| Upstream | Portland Rail Bridge |
| Downstream | Confluence with Shell Rock River |