TP&W Spring Creek Bridge (Crescent City)

Name	TP&W Spring Creek Bridge (Crescent City)
Built By	Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway
Currently Owned By	Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway
Superstructure Contractor	Unknown
Substructure Contractor	Unknown
Length	156 Feet, 76 Foot Spans
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Through Plate Girder
Substructure Design	Stone Masonry
Date Built	c. 1900
Traffic Count	2 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	4/16/2022

In 1857, the Logansport, Peoria & Burlington Railroad (LP&B) completed a new railroad line, extending from Lomax, Illinois to Peoria, Illinois, via Galesburg, Illinois. The railroad completed east to Gilman the same year, and reached Logansport, Indiana in 1859. Because the funding for the LP&B was primarily funded by the Central Military Tract Railroad, which became part of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CB&Q); the Peoria to Lomax segment of the line was sold to the CB&Q in 1860 and quickly became part of the principal mainline for that railroad. The name of the LP&B was changed to the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw Railroad in 1864, and the railroad sought a renewed connection to the Mississippi River. The following year, the TP&W purchased the Mississippi & Wabash Railroad in 1865, which had previously completed a branch line from Warsaw, Illinois to Carthage, Illinois. Construction began on a new line, extending from Elvaston to Peoria. The new route opened to traffic in 1869. At the same time, the Keokuk & Hamilton Bridge Company began construction of a combined railroad and roadway bridge across the Mississippi River, which would be completed in 1871. A branch line from LaHarpe, Illinois to Lomax would be constructed the same year. By 1880, the TP&W would be reorganized as the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway (TP&W); and leased by the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway.

The TP&W provided a crucial bridge connection between the eastern and western railroads, bypassing Chicago and other congested interchange points. The Wabash lease of the railroad ended in 1887, and the railroad remained independent until 1893. In 1893, the railroad was jointly leased by the Pennsylvania Railroad and the St. Louis, Keokuk & North Western Railway (CB&Q), although the CB&Q later relinquished their ownership. In 1960, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (ATSF) gained part ownership of the line, and gained full ownership in 1968 when the Pennsylvania Railroad was merged into Penn Central. Portions of the line between Keokuk and LaHarpe were sold to the Keokuk Junction Railway (KJRY) in 1985. The ATSF sold the line to investors in 1989, which returned the Topeldo, Peoria & Western Railway name to the line. The KJRY purchased the tracks from LaHarpe to Lomax in 1990, and the line from Peoria to LaHarpe in 2005. Today, TP&W continues to operate the line between Peoria and Logansport, while the KJRY operates the line west of Peoria.

Located along US Route 24 west of Crescent City, this through girder bridge carries the former Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway over Spring Creek. The first bridge at this location was likely a wooden truss or trestle bridge. Starting in the 1890s, the TP&W undertook an extensive improvement program along their line, replacing wooden bridges with steel and stone structures. This bridge was built in approximately 1900, and consists of two 78-foot through plate girder spans, set onto stone substructures. The girders use a lightweight design, typical for the late 1890s and early 1900s. Bracing on the floor includes the use of eyebars and adjustable tension members, a design which largely fell out of favor by the turn of the 20th Century. No plaques could be found on the bridge, but a carving indicates work was possibly done in 1918. Through girder spans were popular with railroads, as they provided a durable and easy to construct design. Since the initial construction, the bridge has seen relatively few alterations. Minor strengthening occurred through the bridge, and select stones of the substructure have been encased with concrete. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.

TP&W Spring Creek Bridge (Crescent City)

Crescent City, Iroquois County, Illinois