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| Name | Cheese Country Trail - Copper Creek Bridge Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #F-260 |
| Built By | Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Lafayette County |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Substructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 88 Feet Total, 44 Foot Spans |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 10 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Through Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Stone Masonry and Concrete |
| Date Built | c. 1905 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Open to Automobile Traffic) |
| Current Status | Open to Off-Road Vehicle Traffic |
| Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge Number | F-260 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 1/20/2024 |
In 1853, the Southern Wisconsin Rail Road completed an 8 mile spur from an existing railroad at Milton Junction, Wisconsin to Janesville, Wisconsin. In 1856, the railroad would be acquired by the Milwaukee & Mississippi Rail Road (M&M), which owned the existing mainline at Milton Junction. At the same time, the Mineral Point Railroad (MPR) constructed 17 miles of new railroad between Warren, Illinois and Darlington, Wisconsin. In 1857, the M&M completed an additional 34 miles of railroad to Monroe, Wisconsin. In addition, the MPR completed an additional 15 miles north to Mineral Point, Wisconsin. The M&M was acquired by the Milwaukee and Prairie du Chien Railway (M&PdC) in 1861, which was sold to the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (M&StP) in 1867. In 1874, the M&StP changed its name to the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road). In 1880, the MPR was acquired by the Milwaukee Road, and the following year an additional 22 miles would be constructed to connect Monroe to Gratoit.
This line served as a secondary route for the Milwaukee Road, mainly providing access to valuable metal deposits in southwest Wisconsin. The route also allowed for the construction of numerous branch lines, including branches to Shullsburg, Wisconsin and Platteville, Wisconsin. By the 20th Century, the Milwaukee Road had become a prominent railroad in the United States, operating an expansive network of railroad lines, primarily in the Midwest. The Milwaukee Road was often in financial trouble, especially after the costly Pacific Extension was completed in 1909. The branch between Gratoit and Warren was abandoned in 1923. In 1925, the company declared bankruptcy, and reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in 1928. Throughout the 20th Century, conditions on the Milwaukee Road continued to deteriorate. This line began to fall into disrepair, and was downgraded to a branch line.
The railroad again entered bankruptcy in 1977, and was forced to liquidate unprofitable lines. By the late 1970s, much of the railroad was extremely overgrown, and the tracks in very poor condition. In 1980, the entire branch was sold to the State of Wisconsin, which leased it to the Chicago, Madison and Northern Railway (CM&N) that year. The CM&N was short lived, and became part of the Central Wisconsin Railroad in 1982, which became part of the Wisconsin & Calumet Railroad (WICT) in 1985. The same year, the entire branch west of Monroe was abandoned and turned into a trail. In 1993, the WICT was acquired by the Wisconsin Southern Railroad, and was formally merged in 1997. Since WSOR began operations of the line, significant upgrades have been made to the line, significantly improving service. Today, WSOR continues to operate the Milton Junction to Janesville segment as part of the Madison Subdivision and the Janesville to Monroe segment as the Monroe Subdivision. The Cheese Country Trail currently uses the right-of-way between Monroe and Mineral Point.
Located west of Gratoit, this through plate girder bridge carries the former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) Mineral Point Division across Copper Creek along County Road K. The first bridge at this location was likely a timber pile trestle bridge, constructed when the line was first built. In 1894, the bridge was rebuilt with an 88-foot wooden Howe pony truss span, set onto stone abutments. In the early 20th Century, the Milwaukee Road made a number of upgrades to this line, replacing some timber bridges with steel and concrete structures. The present structure was constructed in approximately 1905. Currently, the bridge consists of a two 44-foot type "C3" through plate girder spans, set onto stone abutments and a concrete pier. The superstructure uses a standard design for a type "C3" span, with two modest plate girders, rounded girder ends and a floor consisting of four stringers and floorbeams placed throughout the span. In addition, the bridge is superelevated, as evidenced by the different sized bearing blocks on the pier. The pier uses a standard rectangular design, and the abutments use a standard design with stepped diagonal wing walls. Stone for the abutments has a brownish color, and was quarried at an unknown location. An unknown contractor fabricated the superstructure, and Milwaukee Road Bridge & Building Department forces constructed the pier. It is believed that the abutments were constructed by an unknown contractor. Through plate girder spans were commonly used by railroads, as they were durable and easy to construct. Since the initial construction, the bridge has seen few structural alterations. A concrete deck and steel railings have been added to the bridge, and it now carries the Cheese Country Trail. 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.
Citations
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |