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| Name | CN Namekagon River Bridge (Stinnett Landing) Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #263 |
| Built By | Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway |
| Currently Owned By | State of Wisconsin (Operated by Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad) |
| Superstructure Contractor | Lassig Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago |
| Substructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 150 Feet Total |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 10 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Quadrangular Lattice Through Truss |
| Substructure Design | Stone Masonry |
| Date Built | 1892 |
| Traffic Count | 1 Train/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge Number | 263 |
| Significance | Moderate Significance |
| Documentation Date | 10/11/2014 |
In 1871, the North Wisconsin Railway (NW) began construction of a 13 mile railroad line between Northline (east of Hudson, Wuisconsin) and New Richmond, Wisconsin. The line was extended an additional 25 miles to Clayton, Wisconsin in 1874, followed by 18 miles to Cumberland, Wisconsin in 1878 and 26 miles to Spooner, Wisconsin in 1879. In 1880, the NW was consolidated into the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway (Omaha Road). That year, the Omaha Road constructed an additional 39 miles between Spooner and Cable, Wisconsin, followed by 30 additional miles to Mason, Wisconsin in 1882. That year, the Omaha Road came under control of the Chicago & North Western Railway, which operated a growing railroad network in the Midwest. In 1883, an additional 28 miles to Bayfield, Wisconsin was completed, and a short 4 mile branch to Ashland, Wisconsin was opened. This line served as one of the northern mainlines of the Omaha Road, and would share the right-of-way with the other mainline between Spooner and Trego, Wisconsin. These two mainlines formed a large X through northwest Wisconsin. The line was critical to serving a booming logging and forestry industry in northwest Wisconsin.
The C&NW constructed and acquired a large amount of trackage through the Midwest, and the Omaha Road provided additional lines in western Wisconsin, southern Minnesota and parts of Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. By the early 20th Century, the Omaha Road operated a respectable network of railroad lines, serving in conjunction with the C&NW lines. The Omaha Road would formally be merged into the C&NW in 1959. As traffic over this line diminished, the line would be subject to abandonment. During the late 20th Century, the C&NW sought to sell or abandon unprofitable and excess lines. The first segment to be abandoned was between Hayward and Bayfield in 1978, followed by the Northline to Spooner segment in 1981. The branch to Ashland would be abandoned in early 1982. In 1992, the Spooner to Hayward segment would be sold to Wisconsin Central, Ltd. (WC) as part of a larger sale of the other mainline between Cameron, Wisconsin and Superior, Wisconsin. In 1997, the State of Wisconsin acquired the Trego to Hayward Junction segment of the line, and Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad (WGN) began operating a tourist railroad between Trego and Hayward. Today, much of the segment south of Spooner is abandoned, while much of the segment north of Hayward has been reused as part of ATV/snowmobile trails. The Wild Rivers Trail uses the segment between Spooner and Trego. WGN continues to operate the Trego to Hayward segment.
Located near Stinnett Landing southeast of Stanberry, this through truss bridge carries the former Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway over the Namekagon River. The first bridge at this location was likely a timber through truss, constructed when the line was first built. During the late 1880s and early 1890s, the Omaha Road made significant upgrades to this route, replacing timber bridges with steel and stone. This bridge was constructed in 1892 to replace the previous timber bridge. Currently, the bridge consists of a 150-foot, riveted quadrangular lattice through truss span, set onto stone abutments. The truss span uses a standard design for the era, including a pedimented portal bracing with decorative heel bracing, a combination of built-up and solid members and a traditionally composed floor. Lassig Bridge & Iron Works fabricated the truss span, while an unknown contractor constructed the substructures. It is unknown where the stone for the abutments was quarried from, as it has a distinct reddish color seen on other bridges throughout northwest Wisconsin.
This type of truss design is relatively uncommon throughout the United States. However, a few railroads preferred the design, such as the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway (Rock Island), the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) and the Omaha Road. Spans constructed in the early 1880s for the Omaha Road featured an arched and pedimented lattice portal bracing, light sway bracing and laced members. The second generation was nearly exclusively constructed by Lassig Bridge & Iron Works between 1884 and 1900, and featured heavier members and a pedimented portal bracing. While the design fell out of favor for the Rock Island and Omaha Road around the turn of the 20th Century, the design remained popular with the C&NW into the 1920s. The discontinuance of the lattice design is one of the few examples of the Omaha Road and C&NW bridge engineers having differing thoughts on bridge designs. This particular span uses a design typical for the second generation of quadrangular lattice through trusses. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The bridge is now owned by the State of Wisconsin, while it is operated by the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad. The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.
Citations
| Builder and build date | Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway Valuation Notes at the Chicago & North Western Historical Society Archives |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |