- 1871: 2 miles completed from Geneva to St. Charles, Illinois by the St. Charles Railroad Company
- 1872: 3 miles completed from Geneva to Batavia, Illinois by the Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1881: St. Charles Railroad Company becomes part of the Elgin and State Line Railroad Company
- 1883: 6 miles completed from Batavia to Aurora, Illinois by the Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1883: E&SL Railroad Company purchased by the Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1967: Small portion of track is abandoned in Aurora
- 1981: Geneva to St. Charles segment abandoned
- 1982: Geneva to Aurora segment abandoned
- 1984: Final segment in Geneva abandoned
- 1980s-present: Geneva to St. Charles and Fabyan Parkway to Aurora segments are part of the Fox River Trail
06/26/21
Located along Batavia Avenue near the former station of Mooseheart, this pony truss bridge carries the Fox River Trail over Mill Creek.
Much of the bridges history is shrouded in mystery. It is known that the span was moved here in 1915, although the design appears to date from the mid 1880s.
Currently, the bridge features a riveted Double Intersection Warren Pony Truss set onto stone substructures. It has been converted to trail use.
It is unknown where the span was moved from, or exactly when it was built. This design was exceptionally common during the 1880s, but died out in favor of girder spans by 1890. Many were fabricated by Alden & Lassig, a joint venture between John Alden and Moritz Lassig.
Many bridges of this design were replaced during the first two decades of the 1900s. Many were rebuilt into road overpasses, while some were also sent to branch lines. An identical sized span was built in Wausau, Wisconsin the year before. It is possible that they are related.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition. No significant alterations have been made to the bridge.
The author has ranked the bridge as being regionally significant, due to the old age and relocation history.
The photo above is an overview.