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| Name | NS Bridge #378.60 Lake Erie & Western Railroad Bridge #919 |
| Built By | Lake Erie & Western Railroad |
| Currently Owned By | Norfolk Southern Railway |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 5 Feet Total |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 2 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Stone Arch Culvert |
| Substructure Design | Stone Masonry |
| Date Built | 1891 |
| Traffic Count | 2 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Lake Erie & Western Railroad Bridge Number | 919 |
| Norfolk Southern Railway Bridge Number | 378.60 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 4/2/2023 |
In 1872, the LaFayette, Muncie and Bloomington Railroad (LM&B) constructed 36 miles of new railroad, extending from Lafayette, Indiana to the Illinois/Indiana State Line. At the same time, the LaFayette, Bloomington and Mississippi Railway (LB&M) constructed an additional 80 miles of railroad to Bloomington, Illinois. The two railroads would be reorganized into the Lake Erie and Western Railway Company in 1879. The railroad would be reorganized as the Lake Erie and Western Railroad (LE&W) in 1887, and the following year completed a 36 mile extension from Bloomington to Peoria, Illinois.
The LE&W had acquired a modest railroad network, with several lines throughout Indiana, Ohio and Illinois. This line served as the mainline for the railroad, connecting Lake Erie at Sandusky, Ohio to the Illinois River at Peoria. The LE&W came under the control of the New York Central Railroad (NYC) in 1900, and was sold to the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad (Nickel Plate) in 1922. This line served as a secondary line for the Nickel Plate, running roughly parallel to the Nickel Plate line between Lake Erie and St. Louis. In 1964, the Nickel Plate merged with the Norfolk & Western Railway (N&W), which merged with the Southern Railway in 1982 to form Norfolk Southern Railway (NS). NS abandoned the segment between Gibson City and Cheneyville in 1986, and sold the Cheneyville to Lafayette segment to the Kankakee, Beaverville & Southern Railroad (KBSR) in 1991. Today, NS continues to operate the Bloomington District between Peoria and Gibson City, and the KBSR continues to operate the Cheneyville to Lafayette section.
Located on the west side of Bloomington, this small stone arch culvert carries the former Lake Erie & Western Railroad over an unnamed creek along White Oak Road. It is likely that this is the second structure at this location. The first structure at this location was a small timber pile trestle. During the 1890s, the LE&W made a number of significant upgrades to this line, including replacing wooden bridges with stone and steel. It is believed this culvert was constructed in 1891. The culvert consists of a 5-foot semicircular stone arch culvert, set onto stone substructures. The structure uses standard wing walls, which extend at an angle from the culvert. It is currently unknown what contractor constructed the culvert. This type of structure was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it was durable and easy to construct. Since the initial construction, the culvert has seen few changes, although it is now heavily silted in. Overall, the culvert appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked the culvert as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Build date | Annual Report of the Lake Erie & Western Railroad For the Year Ending December 31, 1892 |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |