- 1887: 26 miles completed from Mellen, Wisconsin to the Montreal River at Hurley, Wisconsin by Penokee Railroad
- 1887: 7 miles completed from the Montreal River to Bessemer, Michigan by Gogebic & Montreal Railway
- 1888: Penokee Railroad purchased by Wisconsin Central Railroad
- 1888: Gogebic & Montreal leased by Wisconsin Central Railroad
- 1897: Wisconsin Central Railroad changed to Wisconsin Central Railway
- 1961: WC merged with Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway and Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railway to form Soo Line Railroad
- 1984: Soo Line Corporation created by Canadian Pacific Railway as a holding company
- 1987: Route sold to Wisconsin Central, Ltd
- 1997: Route abandoned and acquired for ATV trail use
- 1997-Present: Permanent trail development continues
08/18/21
This large through truss bridge crosses over the former Chicago & North Western route near Siemens, Michigan.
Built in 1896, this Baltimore Through Truss span features an interesting design. It features a very untraditional modification of the Baltimore design and was an early example of riveted connections.
It appears that many of the area structures were unusual designs built in 1896 by the Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company.
This single span bridge rests on stone abutments. It has since been converted to an ATV trail.
Overall, this unique bridge remains in good condition.
The author ranks this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the early example of a riveted truss and the uncommon configuration.
The photo above is an overview. The bridge can be accessed from the trail it carries.