- 1871: 13 miles completed from Northline (Hudson) to New Richmond, Wisconsin by the North Wisconsin Railway
- 1874: 25 miles completed from New Richmond to Clayton, Wisconsin by the North Wisconsin Railway
- 1878: 18 miles completed from Clayton to Cumberland, Wisconsin by the North Wisconsin Railway
- 1879: 26 miles completed from Cumberland to Spooner, Wisconsin by the North Wisconsin Railway
- 1880: North Wisconsin Railway acquired by the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway ("Omaha Road")
- 1880: 9 miles completed from Spooner to Trego, Wisconsin by the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway
- 1880: 43 miles completed from Trego to Cable, Wisconsin by the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway
- 1881: 4 miles completed northeast of Cable by the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway
- 1882: 26 miles completed from Cable to Mason, Wisconsin by the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway
- 1883: 28 miles completed from Cable to Bayfield, Wisconsin by the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway
- 1883: 4 miles completed from Ashland Junction to Ashland, Wisconsin by the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway
- 1883: The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway is controlled by the Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1957: The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway is leased by the Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1972: The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway is fully absorbed by the Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1978: The Hayward to Bayfield segment is abandoned
- 1980: The Trego-Hayward segment is sold, and becomes part of the Canadian National Railway by 2001
- 1981: The Northline to Spooner segment is abandoned
- 1980-present: Various municipalities and counties have purchased sections of the right-of-way for trail use, but there is not a continuous trail
- 1997-present: The Wisconsin Great Northern, a tourist railroad, operates 26 miles of track between Trego and Hayward
- 2001-present: Canadian National owns the Trego-Hayward line, and uses it to access industry in Hayward
06/16/22
This large abandoned through truss bridge crosses the Namekagon River north of Hayward.
Built in 1891, this large Quadrangular Through Truss span follows a standardized design seen at other places throughout the Omaha Road system.
The bridge consists of the main riveted span, and is approached by a pair of trestle spans on either side. The truss rests on stone piers.
Currently, the owner is unknown for the bridge. The railroad grade to the north is still listed as being part of the Chicago & North Western Railway, which is likely having taxes paid for by Union Pacific.
To the south, the bridge is owned by a private owner. However, the actual river is not owned, by Wisconsin law.
Regardless of the owner, it is hoped that this bridge will continue to survive for years to come. It is one of many reminders of a bygone era of railroading.
Overall, the truss remains in fair to good condition. The approach on the south side has been removed, and the deck on the south side of the truss has also been removed.
The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the old age and truss design.
The photo above is an overview. Due to the unknown nature of the ownership of the bridge, the author requests that attempts to access this bridge are respectful.
| Upstream | C&NW Namekagon River Bridge (Cable) |
| Downstream | Stinnett Landing Rail Bridge |