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Abandoned Branch Caney River Arch

Stone Arch Bridge over Branch of Caney River
Elgin, Chautauqua County, Kansas

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Abandoned Branch Caney River Bridge
Built By Chicago, Kansas & Western Railroad
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By Private Owner?
Length 14 Feet Total
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Stone Arch
Substructure Type Stone Masonry
Date Built 1899
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is abandoned)
Current Status Abandoned
ATSF Bridge Number 25C
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date October 2017
In 1885, the Independence & South Western Railroad built a 55 mile line between Independence, Kansas and Cedar vale, Kansas.
By 1886, the route would become part of the Chicago, Kansas & Western Railroad. The line would be completed in 1887.
A mainline was later built south out of Havana, rendering the Havana to Cedar Vale portion a branch.

The CK&W became a part of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1901. The route was abandoned in approximately 1940.
Today, little remains of the Cedar Vale Branch. Only scattered structures dot the landscape.
06/26/21


This simple stone arch bridge crosses over a branch of the Caney River.
Abandoned since 1934, this bridge was built only 35 years before, in 1899.
The ATSF refers to this structure as a rubble arch, likely due to the smaller and more jagged pieces of stone in the construction.
Overall, the bridge remains in good condition. It is located just off a small county road.
The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design and newer age.
During the year 1899, the ATSF built numerous stone arches such as this one to replace wooden trestles.
The photo above is an overview. The bridge can be accessed from the banks of the river near the county road.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway 1937 Bridge Records
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele



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