Two extensions were considered for the young and prosperous railroad. One of which would extend to Decorah.
In 1880, the line was obtained by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, who converted it to standard guage. They ripped up the Decorah branch.
The line came out of the Mississippi River Valley through some of the hardest terrain in the midwest. It followed the Paint Creek Valley for the majority of the time.
The CM&StP became the Chicago, Milwaukee St. Paul & Pacific (Milwaukee Road) in 1913.
The line served a major lead mine until 1933, when it was removed.
By 1972, the line was starting to struggle, and the Milwaukee Road abandoned it.
Today, chunks of it serve as local roads and some structures still remain as a reminder.
06/26/21
This bridge is an interesting structure. It was recorded as having been built in 1900 by the National Bridge Inventory, although this is unlikely. The author believes it may date to closer to 1920.
Currently, the bridge carries a single lane road over Paint Creek. The bridge is actually a former railroad bridge.
In the current configuration, the bridge contains four I-Beam spans, approached by a trestle span on either side. The substructures are built of concrete.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition.
The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.