The line was completed by 1892. By 1896, the railroad became part of the Duluth, Superior and Western Railway.
This railroad was short lived however, and became part of the Eastern Railway of Minnesota in 1898.
The Eastern Railway of Minnesota continued building west, and completed to Fosston by 1900. From here, the line could be continued west.
This railroad became part of the Great Northern system in 1907. The GN operated a mass of lines throughout Minnesota and western states.
The railroad served as a mainline, and continued to do so after the Burlington Northern merger.
In 1970, the Great Northern merged with rival Northern Pacific, as well as the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy to form Burlington Northern.
BN merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe in 1996 to form BNSF Railway, the current operators.
It continues to be known as the Lake Subdivision, with numerous connections to the Iron Range.
12/03/21
Located just east of Grand Rapids, this deck truss bridge crosses the Prairie River.
Originally built in 1899, the bridge features a single 7-panel riveted Warren Deck Truss. In addition, this bridge is approached by deck girders and an I-Beam span on the west end. The entire bridge rests on concrete substructures and steel towers.
In 1929, the truss was upgraded with an additional truss line. While this alteration changed the truss, it is old enough to be considered historic.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition.
Historic photo of the bridge
The author has ranked the bridge as being moderately significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.