The line would be continued in 1874 to Wausau.
Meanwhile, far south of Wausau, the Necedah and Camp Douglas Railroad Company built north from New Lisbon in 1877, connecting to the main line in New Lisbon.
The new line would meet up with the existing Wisconsin Valley Line at Babcock.
In 1879, the Wisconsin Valley Railroad Company would continue north to Merrill from Wausau.
In 1878, the Necedah and Camp Douglas would be absorbed by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, which had since absorbed the east/west mainline to which it connected.
The same thing happened to the Wisconsin Valley Railroad Company in 1880.
In 1887, the extension from Merrill Was opened to Minoqua by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul.
A connection from Babcock to Necedah was built in 1890 by the Lisbon, Necedah and Lake Superior Railway, which was effectively bought by the emerging CM&StP in 1891.
The idea of expansion continued as the CM&StP continued to Star Lake in 1895. In 1914, a branch was opened from Merrill.
Both expansions served as logging railroads to cut lumber from the rich forests of northern Wisconsin.
The CM&StP became the Chicago, Milwaukee St. Paul & Pacific Railway in 1912 during an expansion to the Pacific.
The road became known as the "Milwaukee Road". The Milwaukee Road was often a weak railroad, although the infrastructure would suggest otherwise.
The first abandonments came in 1925 and 1934 when the Tomah-Norway Ridge and the Norway Ridge-Babcock Sections were removed, respectively.
By 1942, a cash-strapped Milwaukee Road decided to scrap both the line from Merrill, and the line north of Minoqua.
In 1972, the Milwaukee Road abandoned everything until 1972, which became the Bear Skin Trail near after.
Once the Milwaukee Road entered bankruptcy in 1985, which would eventually be purchased by the Soo Line.
By 1987, the Wisconsin Central Ltd bought a ton of former Soo Line lines, this one being one.
The WC was purchased by Canadian National in 2001, who continues to operate this line as the Valley Subdivision, under the Wisconsin Central Ltd brand.
06/16/22
This is (currently) the only trail bridge on the island of bridges in Wausau.
Built in 1908, this bridge was built using relocated pieces. The bridge a 36' and 38' deck girder on either side of the main through girder span. In addition, the bridge has trestle spans on either side, and the entire bridge rests on timber substructures.
The four deck girders were moved from an overpass on the Iowa Central Railway near Melbourne, Iowa. This is one of a very few instances of one railroad reusing another railroads parts. Those spans were originally built in 1899 as through girders. The overpass allowed a short lived branch line to cross over the Milwaukee Road mainline.
The main through girder was an approach span of the Cedar River Bridge in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Three truss spans are known to have existed from this same structure, and all exist in Union County, South Dakota. This information also provides that the contractor of Lassig Bridge & Iron Works.
Overall, this bridge remains in good condition.
The bridge was re purposed as a trail sometime in the early 2000s, and is still serving that purpose.
The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the extensive use of relocated pieces.
The photo above is an overview.
| Upstream (Main Channel) | Merrill Rail Bridge |
| Downstream (East Channel) | Woodson Park Rail Bridge |