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| Name | Morris Terminal Railroad Bridge |
| Built By | Morris Terminal Railway Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Illinois Department of Natural Resources |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 175 Feet Total, 127 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 20 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Quadrangular Lattice Through Truss and Timber Pile Trestle |
| Substructure Design | Timber Pile |
| Date Built | 1906 Using a Span Fabricated c. 1885 |
| Original Location | Unknown |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Closed to Traffic) |
| Current Status | Closed to Traffic |
| Significance | Regional Significance |
| Documentation Date | 6/9/2015; 2/22/2025 |
In 1852, the Chicago and Rock Island Rail Road Company (C&RI) constructed 40 miles of new railroad, extending from Chicago, Illinois to Joliet, Illinois. The following year, the railroad constructed an additional 119 miles of new railroad to Geneseo, followed by an additional 22 miles to Rock Island, Illinois in 1854. Work was continued in 1856 by the Mississippi and Missouri Rail Road Company (M&M), which constructed a bridge across the Mississippi River to Davenport, Iowa and continued the line westwards across Iowa. In 1866, the two railroads were consolidated into the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, which was renamed the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway (Rock Island) in 1880. The line between Chicago and Joliet was double tracked prior to 1874, due to the heavy use. The Rock Island constructed and acquired a large network of railroads, primarily in Iowa during the late 1880s. This line served as a principal mainline for the railroad, connecting Chicago to the network of railroad lines west of the Mississippi River.
In approximately 1892, the remainder of the line would be double tracked, and in the late 1890s, additional tracks were added in Chicago. Track elevation projects within Chicago were made throughout the late 1890s and early 1900s. Throughout the 20th Century, the line continued to be a critical component of the Rock Island system. In 1913, the Rock Island elevated the line through Joliet. The Rock Island was a poor railroad, facing financial trouble regularly and often in bankruptcy. This route hosted passenger trains known as "Rockets" for many years, and the Rock Island offered a suburban commuter service over the line. After World War II, the Rock Island struggled to survive, proposing mergers and deferring maintenance on their routes. By 1964, the Rock Island began attempts to merge with Union Pacific, and restructure railroads west of the Mississippi River. This merger was eventually denied, and Rock Island turned its last profit in 1965.
In the mid-1970s, the
railroad was in serious decline. The railroad received loans to attempt
to fix slow orders, received new equipment and turn a profit. By 1978,
the railroad came close to profit, but creditors were lobbying for a
complete shutdown of the Rock Island. During the fall of 1979, a strike
crippled the railroad, and by January of 1980, the entire system was
ordered to be shut down and liquidated. Many of the lines and equipment
were scrapped. Profitable sections of railroad were prepared for
sale. Between Joliet and Chicago, the line would be sold to the Regional Transportation Authority. From Joliet to Utica, the line would be sold to the Chessie System, which became part of CSX Transportation in 1986. The portion from Utica into Iowa would be sold to the Iowa Interstate Railroad (IAIS). Today, the Chicago to Joliet segment is operated by Metra as the Rock Island District; CSX operates the line between Joliet and Utica as the New Rock Subdivision; and IAIS operates the Rock Island to Utica section as the Blue Island Subdivision.
Located on the west side of Morris, this through truss bridge once carried the Morris Terminal Railway over the Illinois & Michigan (I&M) Canal. In 1906, the Morris Terminal Railway was incorporated to construct industrial trackage along the I&M Canal in Morris. The railroad was a subsidiary of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway; which funded, provided material and constructed the railroad. As part of the construction, two new nearly identical bridges would be constructed across the I&M Canal, one on each side of Morris. The Morris Terminal Railway survived until 1948, when it was fully absorbed by the Rock Island. Much of the railroad was abandoned in the 1970s, and a large portion of the line was converted to the I&M Canal Trail. The eastern of the two bridges was removed in the late 1980s, while the western bridge was retained for trail use.
The western of the two Morris Terminal Railway bridges sits near Calhoun Street. The bridge consists of a single 127-foot riveted quadrangular lattice through truss span, approached by timber pile trestle spans and set onto timber substructures. The truss span appears to have been fabricated in approximately 1885, and was originally used at an unknown location. The truss uses a standard design for the era, including pedimented portal bracings, laced members and a lightweight floor. This length of span was a standard Rock Island design during the 1880s, and a number of such spans were constructed, particularly along mainlines. Quadrangular lattice through truss spans are relatively uncommon, with only a handful of railroads using the design. The Midwest has a particularly large population of these truss spans, as the Chicago & North Western Railway used the design nearly exclusively for almost 50 years. The Rock Island used the design starting in the late 1870s or early 1880s, and continued to use the design until the early 20th Century. At this time, the Warren design became the standard Rock Island truss design. Lassig Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago fabricated a large number of these types of spans. However, no plaque could be found on the bridge indicating this company constructed the span. Railroads often reused steel and iron spans, as it provided a cost effective way to renew or construct new bridges. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to poor condition, with deterioration of the timber components noted. As of 2025, the bridge is fenced off and closed to pedestrian traffic, with an uncertain future. The author hopes that the truss span of the bridge can be retained, either placed on new substructures or placed in the nearby park. The replacement of timber components of this bridge would not adversely affect the historic integrity of the bridge. The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the age, design and reuse.
Citations
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |