The same year, the route was extended to Menomonie from Red Cedar Junction.
The route was completed to Chippewa Falls by 1883, but never was extended north to Superior. It was purchased by Milwaukee Road.
At Reeds Landing, a large pontoon bridge allowed bridges to cross the Mississippi River.
By 1882, the railroad was purchased by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway. Known as the Milwaukee Road, this route became a spur for the railroad giant.
The Milwaukee Road was renamed the Chicago, Milwaukee St. Paul & Pacific Railway in 1915. By 1951, the Pontoon Bridge was dealt a severe blow by ice, and the line was abandoned from Durand to Wabasha.
The remaining portion was purchased by the State of Wisconsin in 1979, and was operated by private owners. Despite the promise, a bridge strength issue in Eau Claire would not allow train operations to be feasible, and the route was abandoned in 1981.
In the 1980s, Wisconsin turned it into a trail, and by 2004 the trail was complete to Eau Claire. The Red Cedar branch is also used as a trail.
These trails are named the Chippewa Valley and Red Cedar State Trails.
11/21/21
Located at Phoenix Park in Eau Claire, this historic bridge is the oldest railroad bridge in Eau Claire.
Erected in 1903, the bridge was built using parts taken from the original Mississippi River Bridge at La Crosse.
All three spans include pin connections and wooden stringers. These stringers were relocated from the original Short Line Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1903 and built in 1880.
This iconic piece of history clearly states a 1903 build date on the west abutment. However, the trusses were relocated from two different bridges.
The Whipple Through Truss was relocated from the West Channel Bridge at La Crosse, Wisconsin. Originally built 1876, it was cut down to 232'6" from 247' in 1903 upon relocation.
The other trusses were relocated from separate bridges. One was relocated from the East Channel Bridge, and the other from the West Channel Bridge, both at La Crosse. Both were built in 1876 as 160' Spans and cut down to 146'3" Spans in 1903.
Whipple trusses are very rare, and this is one of only two in western Wisconsin. The other is the Dunnville Bottoms Bridge, in rural Dunn County crossing the same river.
The two Pratt trusses only contain a heel portal bracing, while the Whipple contains X-Frame Portal Braces. Heavy strengthening was done to the bridge in 1941.
La Crosse Bridge, showing two of the spans reused on this bridge. From The Railway Age, Volume 34
The author has ranked the bridge as being highly significant due to the high level of historic integrity, the Whipple Truss and the relocation history.
The bridge crosses the Chippewa River just upstream of the confluence with the Eau Claire River. The photo above is an overview. The photo below is a patent inscription on the bridge.
A special thank you to the Milwaukee Road Archives at the Milwaukee Central Library for this information!
| Upstream | Northwestern Bridge |
| Downstream | Clairemont Avenue Railroad Bridge |
These Pictures Start at varying points in the Series
Detail Photos
