In 1899, the route became a part of the St. Paul and Duluth Railroad. The Stp&D became part of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1900.
Northern Pacific operated this route as a short spur to a river town on the eastern edge of the state. It was never extended.
In 1970, the NP merged with rival Great Northern and partner Chicago, Burlington & Quincy to form Burlington Northern.
In 1996, the BN merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe to form BNSF. BNSF never operated this route, but instead leased it to the Minnesota Zephyr, a passenger train.
Unfortunately, this arrangement did not work out and the entire railroad was abandoned in 2012. It is now part of the Browns Creek Trail.
07/08/23
Located on the north side of Stillwater, this through plate girder bridge crosses Minnesota Highway 95 and was constructed in 1967 to replace a similar bridge.
Originally built in 1912 as an 85-foot turntable at Missoula, Montana; the bridge was removed from Missoula in the 1960s and stored at Brainerd, Minnesota for future use. In 1967, the bridge would be reconstructed with a new floor, and installed here on old stone abutments. Wooden trestle spans were also added on each end.
Reusing bridges and turntables was a common technique used by railroads to save money. The railroads could often rebuild or strengthen old spans, saving money on bridges.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition. The bridge is now used by a trail. The author has rated the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.