The first segment opened in the fall, extending approximately 10 miles west to Emerado. The following year, the line was opened further west towards Larimore. By 1882, construction had reached Bartlett and the following year, the work had reached Devils Lake.
After a three year pause, the line was extended west again to Minot. This line would form the backbone of the Great Northern system from Duluth, Minnesota to the Pacific Ocean.
In 1889, the StPM&M became part of the Great Northern Railway, who operated this route as a mainline. In 1970, GN merged with rival Northern Pacific to form Burlington Northern Railroad, which in turn merged with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1996 to form BNSF Railway.
Today, the line is regularly used as the Devils Lake Subdivision, connecting the northern Transcontinental Route at Minot to Grand Forks.
06/26/21
Located east of Emerado near the ghost station of Ojata, this steel stringer bridge crosses a small swamp along County Road 4.
Built in 1909, the bridge features a single steel stringer span, set onto concrete substructures. This span follows a standard design for the Great Northern. It is unknown if the superstructure was later replaced, as there is no further records after 1909.
This style bridge was commonly used to cross rivers, streams and roads because of the cheap cost, easy installation and limited maintenance required. A span like this could often be built while only interrupting traffic for short times.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in excellent condition, with no major deterioration noted.
The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.