Located just east of Dumont, this large deck girder bridge carries the Rolling Prairie Trail over the West Fork of the Cedar River.
According to a plaque on the bridge, it was constructed in 1901. The bridge consists of three deck girder spans, approached by trestle on either side. The entire bridge sits on timber pile substructures.
Oddly enough, the nearby Shell Rock River Bridge was built a year before, and uses stone masonry as the substructures. Although it appears that bridge replaced an older truss, the lack of permanent substructures on this bridge is highly unusual.
Because little can be found on CGW bridges, it is possible that these spans were moved here to replace a simple pile trestle. However, this cannot be confirmed at this time.
Further interest is taken in the plaque. It is missing the "of New York" text, possibly indicating that these spans came from a less standardized shop, such as Chicago or Wilmington.
While some issues can be seen throughout the bridge, the main issue is the severe burn damage on the west end of the bridge. Allegedly, a farmer set the bridge on fire, likely to prevent the trail from being completed.
Although no news articles can be found to confirm this story, it would not be the first time that a farmer has committed arson or otherwise acted maliciously to prevent a trail from being built. Because of this selfish act, significantly more work will have to be undertaken to eventually complete the Rolling Prairie Trail.
Because the deck was in a rather unsafe condition, the author did not venture out onto the bridge to closer inspect the fire damage. It appears that damage was mainly localized to a 100 foot segment of trestle. It also appears that the pier between the east and center deck girder may be beginning to deteriorate.
The future for the structure is cloudy. The Rolling Prairie Trail runs in two disconnected segments, including between Bristow and Shell Rock; and Dumont to Hampton. This bridge, and the Boylan Creek Bridge to the east appear to be the main hurdles to completing the trail.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with defects such as the arson damage noted. It is unknown if this bridge will be deemed suitable for use on the Rolling Prairie Trail, or if a new bridge will be built.
The author has ranked the bridge as being moderately significant, due to the large size.
The photo above is an overview.