- 1874: 100 miles completed from Stevens Point, via Spencer to Worcester, Wisconsin by Wisconsin Central Railroad
- 1897: Wisconsin Central Railroad changed to Wisconsin Central Railway
- 1906: 45 miles completed from Owen to Ladysmith, Wisconsin to Duluth, Minnesota by Wisconsin Central Railway
- 1906-09: 112 miles completed from Ladysmith, Wisconsin to Duluth, Minnesota by Wisconsin Central Railway
- 1910: 19 miles completed from Spencer to Owen, Wisconsin by Wisconsin Central Railway
- 1961: WC merged with Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway and Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railway to form Soo Line Railroad
- 1984: Soo Line Corporation created by Canadian Pacific Railway as a holding company
- 1987: Route sold to Wisconsin Central, Ltd
- 1988: Gordon-Superior line abandoned and turned into Wild Rivers Trail, WC Ltd begins using former Chicago & North Western Route which ran parallel
- 2001: Canadian National Railway acquires Wisconsin Central, Ltd
- 2001-Present: Canadian National operates the Stevens Point-Superior segment as the Superior Subdivision
08/20/21
This large scale Pratt Half-Through (deck) Truss was built in 1905 to cross the Flambeau River on the south side of Ladysmith.
The three main spans are very large scale trusses, with heavy diagonal members and riveted connections. The bridge features heavy riveted connections, and is set onto concrete piers.
Each approach is comprised of I-Beams on pile-piers, which were likely added circa 1955.
The feature that makes this bridge unique is the fact that the floor for the deck truss is located about 1/8 of the way into the truss structure. By default, this makes it a deck truss, however, a similar structure on this line, crossing the Nemadji River specifically is a true half through truss, being more like a pony truss with an elevated deck.
This bridge, despite not being the true half through is a very unique bridge. Overall, it appears to be in good condition. Recent rebuilding is apparent.
Historic photo of the bridge
The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the unusual design.
The photo above is an overview.
| Upstream | Ladysmith Rail Bridge (N) |
| Downstream | Confluence With Chippewa River |