The P&O began to be leased by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy before construction ever began.
The first section of line was built in 1857 between Peoria and Chenoa. At the same time, the Logansport, Peoria and Burlington Railroad began building west from the Indiana Border to Gilman.
The line from Peoria to the IL/IN Border was completed by 1859.
The railroad entered foreclosure in 1864. being renamed as the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw Railroad.
The railroad began to plan a western expansion heading west.
This expansion opened in 1868, connecting to Warsaw on the Mississippi River. A bridge was built to Keokuk, Iowa across the Mississippi River.
The railroad became the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railroad in 1887.
The railroad continued to operate independently, until 1960 when the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad and Pennsylvania Railroad each purchased a half controlling interest in the railroad.
By 1983, the railroad became fully engulfed in ATSF control.
In 1989, the railroad was sold to new investors, who revived the TP&W name.
However, 1986 the railroad sold the western portion between Keokuk and LaHarpe to the Keokuk Junction Railway.
In 2011, the remaining line west of Peoria was sold to the KJRY, while the TP&W continues to operate east of Peoria into Indiana.
06/26/21
This beautiful truss bridge bears some resemblance to the Spoon River Bridge, which collapsed in 2013. '
Sitting far in the bluffs from Peoria, the bridge is in a highly rural setting. Copperas Creek makes for a scenic crossing at this location.
Built in 1892, the bridge is a 6 panel, pin connected Pratt Through Truss. It sits on wooden piers, and is approached on either side by trestle approach.
Early 1890s trusses are generally uncommon on railroads, due to the lightweight pin constructed design.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition.
The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the truss design.
Proper overview photos were not obtained due to flooding. The photo above is looking west across the bridge.