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Illinois Central 2nd Street Bridge

Historic Stone Arch Bridge over 2nd Street
Dixon, Lee County, Illinois

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Illinois Central 2nd Street Bridge
Built By Illinois Central Railroad
Contractor Laing & Douglas Construction Company of Dixon, Illinois
Currently Owned By City of Dixon
Length 30 Feet Total
Width 2 Tracks
Height Above Ground 15 Feet
Superstructure Type Stone Arch
Substructure Type Stone Masonry
Date Built 1851
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Abandoned)
Current Status Abandoned
IC Bridge Number A-899.7
Significance High Significance
Documentation Date March 2015
In 1850, the Illinois General Assembly began working on a railroad to connect the southernmost point of Illinois at Cairo to the furthest northwest point at Galena.

President Millard Fillmore signed the land grant for the new rail line in 1850, making it the first Land Grant railroad constructed.
The first parts of the line were built south from Freeport. The line from Galena to Freeport was a portion of the original Chicago & Galena Union Railroad.

Construction began in 1851, and the line reached Cairo by early 1856. Upon completion, the road was the longest in the world. It would be named the Illinois Central.

The railroad backbone of Illinois also had many connections. At Centralia, a line branched towards Chicago. At Cairo, the line continued south via steamboat to New Orelans.

The northern section of the line ran from Bloomington/Normal to Galena, and up to the Mississippi River. The final 15 miles in Illinois opened in 1870, as part of the line into Iowa.

The line ran into significant obsticals. Near Galena, the terrain is some of the most rugged in Illinois, meaning the railroad had to use various vallies to build through the area.
At La Salle, the Illinois River is a signficant barrier, and a bridge nearly half a mile long was required.

Freeport also became a major stop as the Illinois Central. In the 1880s, a line would be added to Madison, Wisconsin; as well as to Chicago.

Bloomington, La Salle, Mendota and Dixon also were major stops; crossing various railroads heading into Chicago.

The line had a stable traffic base, and in 1972, the Illinois Central became the Illinois Central Gulf, after a merge with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio.

Despite the lines significance, the segment from Freeport to Centralia was abandoned in 1985. However, exceptions existed.
The Illinois River Bridge at La Salle, and track as far south as Oglesby were purchased by a gravel mine, Buzzi Unicem; who owns and operates it now.
The remaining portions of the line are owned by Canadian National, although Illinois Central is still an active subsidiary.

The remaining portion from Galena to Freeport is the Freeport Subdivision.
06/26/21


This bridge is one of four similar structures in Dixon, but is one of the most significant in Illinois.
Built in 1851 to cross 2nd Street, the bridge is a well preserved example of an early stone arch. While the bridge was built in 1851, it did not open to traffic until 1855.
The four bridges in Dixon were built out of Galena Limestone, quarried near Dixon. They were all designed by Robert F. Laing.
This bridge also features a semi-circle type design, instead of a more common horseshoe shape. The bridges also use no bond, instead keys were cut into the stone to hold it together.
All of these bridges were abandoned in the late 20th Century. Overall, this structure appears to be in excellent condition.
Despite the bridges significance, the arches were almost demolished in 1986, as Dixon tried to remove the low clearance structures. However, preservationists fought and thankfully won.
The bridges were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, and are some of the most significant bridges in Illinois today.

The author has ranked the bridge as being of high significance, due to the old age and extremely historic collection of bridges in the vicinity.
The photo above is an overview.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Illinois Central 1973 track profile
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele



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