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| Name | Wild Rivers State Trail - Namekagon River Bridge Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #801 |
| Built By | Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources |
| Superstructure Contractor | American Bridge Company of New York |
| Substructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 300 Feet Total, 75 Foot Main Spans |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 40 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder and Timber Pile Trestle |
| Substructure Design | Stone Masonry, Concrete, Steel Bent and Timber Pile |
| Date Built | 1926 (South Span) c. 1960 (Main Spans) |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Open to Pedestrian Traffic) |
| Current Status | Open to Pedestrian Traffic |
| Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge Number | 801 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 10/11/2014 |
In 1880, the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway (Omaha Road) constructed a line between Spooner, Wisconsin and Trego, Wisconsin as part of a larger project to construct towards Bayfield, Wisconsin. In 1881, the Omaha Road constructed 9 miles from Trego, Wisconsin to Lakeside, Wisconsin. The same year, the Chippewa Falls and Northern Railway (CF&N) constructed 15 miles between Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and Bloomer, Wisconsin. In 1882, the Omaha Road constructed an additional 52 miles from Lakeside to Itasca, Wisconsin; and the CF&N completed an additional 54 miles between Bloomer and Spooner. Also in 1882, the Omaha Road came under control of the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW), which had begun to construct and acquire a large railroad network throughout the Midwest. In 1883, the Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls Railroad (EC&CF) constructed 11 miles between the existing Omaha Road mainline at Eau Claire, Wisconsin and Chippewa Falls. By the end of 1883, the CF&N and EC&CF were both consolidated into the Omaha Road. In 1884, the Superior Short Line Railway (SSL), a subsidiary of the Omaha Road, completed an additional 6 miles to the St. Louis River at Superior, Wisconsin. By using trackage rights over the Northern Pacific Railway, the SSL completed an additional 2 miles in Duluth, Minnesota in 1886. The SSL would be formally merged into the Omaha Road in 1895. 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 be leased by the C&NW in 1959, and formally merged into the C&NW in 1972. Throughout the mid-20th Century, the line remained critical to the Omaha Road and C&NW. During the late 20th Century, the C&NW sought to sell or abandon unprofitable and excess lines. In 1992, the Cameron, Wisconsin to Itasca 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. Soon after, the Rice Lake to Gordon, Wisconsin segment would be abandoned in favor of the parallel Soo Line Route; and the Soo Line Route between Gordon and Itasca would be abandoned in favor of the C&NW route. The abandoned lines would be acquired for trail use. In 1995, the C&NW was purchased by Union Pacific Railroad (UP). In 2001, WC would be acquired by Canadian National Railway (CN), and become the American subsidiary of the railroad. Starting in 2004, the Wisconsin Northern Railroad (WN) leased the Chippewa Falls to Cameron line from UP. Today, the Wild Rivers Trail uses the former railroad between Rice Lake and Gordon. UP owns and operates two separate segments, including from Itasca to Superior and from Eau Claire to Chippewa Falls. CN continues to own and operate two segments, including from Cameron to Rice Lake, and from Gordon to Itasca. WN continues to operate over UP-owned tracks between Chippewa Falls and Cameron, serving a booming frac sand industry.
Located on the north side of Trego, this large deck plate girder bridge carries the former Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway over the Namekagon River. The first bridge at this location likely consisted of a timber truss bridge, constructed when the line was first built. In 1892, the bridge would be reconstructed with a 150-foot, riveted double intersection Warren deck truss span, set onto stone piers and approached by timber pile trestle spans. The bridge was partially rebuilt in 1926, when a deck plate girder span was added to the south end to cross US Highway 63. The bridge was again modified in approximately 1960, when the deck truss span was replaced with two deck plate girder spans, giving the bridge its current configuration.
Currently, the bridge consists of two 75-foot deck plate girder spans, approached by a 60-foot deck plate girder span on the south end and timber pile trestle spans on either end. The bridge is set onto a combination of stone, concrete, steel bent and timber pile substructures. American Bridge Company fabricated all three deck plate girder spans, while unknown contractors completed the substructures. The two 75-foot spans may have been reused from another location, and appear to have been painted upon installation here. Since the 1960s reconstruction, the bridge has remained largely unchanged, and now serves the Wild Rivers State Trail. US Highway 63 was rerouted to avoid crossing under the bridge in 2022. Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design and unknown history.
Citations
| Builder and build date | American Bridge Company plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |