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| Name | Carver High Trestle Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #O-126 |
| Built By | Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad |
| Currently Owned By | Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (Final Owner) |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 337 Feet Total, 63 Foot Largest Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 73 Feet |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder and Timber Pile Trestle |
| Substructure Design | Timber Pile |
| Date Erected | 1936 |
| Date Fabricated (Girders) | c. 1900 |
| Date Removed | 1981 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Removed) |
| Current Status | Removed |
| Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge Number | O-126 |
| Significance | Moderate Significance |
| Documentation Date | 6/13/2013 |
In 1872, the Hastings and Dakota Railway completed 72 miles of new railroad between Hastings, Minnesota and Glencoe, Minnesota. Later that year, the H&D would convey this line to the Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway, which would change its name to the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Company (CM&StP) in 1874. Known as the Milwaukee Road, the railroad was beginning to amass a large collection of railroads throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. The line would later be extended westwards, eventually reaching Aberdeen, South Dakota. In 1882, the Milwaukee Road built the Benton Cutoff, a new direct route between Minneapolis and Cologne, reducing the importance of the original line.
The Milwaukee Road was often in financial trouble, especially after the costly Pacific Extension was completed in 1909. In 1925, the company declared bankruptcy, and reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in 1928. The segment of this line between Hastings and Farmington was removed in 1935. As the Milwaukee Road continued to face financial hardship during the 1970s, numerous branch lines would be abandoned, including the segment between Shakopee and Cologne in 1977. The Chaska to Shakopee segment, including the large truss swing bridge over the Minnesota River, were purchased for trail use. The segment between Shakopee and Farmington was abandoned in 1980, and the Milwaukee Road utilized trackage rights over the Chicago & North Western to reach Rahr Malting in Shakopee. The Milwaukee Road would eventually be purchased by the Soo Line in 1986, which has since become part of CPKC. During the 1980s, the segment between Chaska and Shakopee was converted to the Chaska-Shakopee Trail. Due to a failing pier, the Minnesota River bridge was removed in 1996, and the Chaska segment of the trail has been abandoned. Union Pacific Railroad now operates the remaining spur of track in Shakopee.
Once located on the north side of Carver, this large girder and trestle viaduct carried the former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad over Spring Creek and Broadway Street. The first bridge at this location was built in 1871, and consisted of a tall timber pile trestle bridge, set onto timber bents. In 1899, the bridge would be rebuilt, and a secondhand 25-foot deck plate girder span installed. This span had originally been fabricated in approximately 1892, and was originally located across a ditch near Rondout, Illinois. In 1936, the bridge was replaced with the final structure.
The 1936 structure consisted of more deck plate girder spans, which were reused from various locations. From west to east, this bridge consisted of three 14-foot timber pile trestle spans, a 33-foot deck plate girder, a 60-foot deck plate girder, another 33-foot deck plate girder, a 63-foot deck plate girder, another 33-foot deck plate girder, a 47-foot deck plate girder and three more 14-foot timber pile trestle spans. As part of the upgrades, the bents of the bridge were completely reconstructed, and new timber frame towers installed. These towers were braced with large timber cross members and iron rods. The girders were fabricated in approximately 1900, and were likely originally from different locations throughout the system. It is currently unknown which contractor(s) fabricated the girder spans. All of the girders were "twinned" upon relocation, with each span using four girder lines. The 63-foot, 60-foot and 47-foot spans all utilized a fishbelly design, possibly indicating reuse from other viaducts. During the early 1930s, the Milwaukee Road rebuilt a number of bridges, in addition to removing unneeded second tracks at various points on the Iowa and Hastings & Dakota Divisions. The Milwaukee Road prefered to reuse steel spans where possible, as it reduced the amount of new material needed to reconstruct a bridge.
After the Milwaukee Road ceased operations over this line in 1977, the line was considered for trail use. However, a snowmobile accident off of the abandoned bridge resulted in the bridge being determined to be a liability, and it was removed in 1981. During the removal process, a crane was destroyed after an accident during demolition operations. At the time of removal, the bridge appeared to be in fair condition, and could have feasibly served as a trail. If this bridge had been converted to trail use, the author has little doubt this bridge would have been a popular and iconic landmark in Carver. If this bridge were still extant, the author would have ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the extensive relocation history and unique design. While it is unfortunate that the bridge was removed, the author is glad that Vern Wigfield and John Hill both allowed use of their photos on this site. Vern and John both took excellent documentation photos of this structure, prior to its removal.
Citations
| Erection Date | Milwaukee Road Archives - Industrial Department Records - located at the Milwaukee Public Library |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |