In 1853, the line was extended another 119 Miles to Geneseo, about 20 miles from the Mississippi River. This section crossed the Des Plaines River at Joliet and Fox River at Ottawa, and followed the Illinois River.
The remaining section of line was built in 1854, and went up to the Mississippi River.
The first railroad to reach west of the Mississippi was this one, as a swing bridge was built to cross the Mississippi in 1856.
However, the bridge became infamous for an accident in which the bridge collapsed after being struck by a boat. The lawyer who defended the young railroad? Abraham Lincoln, who would eventually become 16th president of the country.
The railroad renamed in 1880 to the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway, also known as the Rock Island.
The railroad operated this line heavily, extending it through Iowa towards Nebraska and the pacific. The line was the backbone of the railroad.
However, despite the seemed success of the railroad, it eventually began to fail. By 1980, the railroad fell to bankruptcy and abandoned all their property.
This line was purchased by the Iowa Interstate Railroad west of Ottawa, and CSX Railroad east of Ottawa to Joliet. Metra currently uses the Chicago to Joliet portion, for their Rock Island District.
Today, much of the line has been upgraded from the poor conditions it was at in 1980. It is operated as the CSX New Rock Subdivision east of Ottawa to Joliet.
West of Ottawa to Davenport, it is operated as the 1st Subdivision of the Iowa Interstate Railroad.
06/26/21
Located in the town of Morris, this small truss bridge crosses the I&M Canal near Calhoun Street.
The history of this bridge is largely unknown. The Morris Terminal Railway was charted by the Rock Island to build track around Morris to connect industries.
However, this design was no longer used after approximately 1900. As a result, it is believed that this bridge was moved from another location.
It is unknown where the span could have come from. It is possible it came from a single track line that was being double tracked, although it is also possible it did not come from anywhere near here.
The truss is a riveted Quadrangular Through Truss, with a standard pedimented portal bracing. No plaques were found on the bridge, but it is believed that the bridge was built between 1890 and 1895. It is likely that it was moved here in 1905 during the construction of the railroad.
Today, the 105 foot span is approached by trestle on either side. It sits on entirely wooden substructures, and is now part of the Illinois and Michigan Canal Trail.
Quadrangular Through Trusses are relatively rare on a national scale, but a few railroads used them. The midwest has some high concentrations of them, due to the Rock Island and Chicago & North Western.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with no serious deterioration noted.
The author has ranked the bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design. It is protected as a heritage area, along with the canal.
The photo above is an overview.
| Upstream | CN I&M Canal Bridge (Aux Sable) |
| Downstream | Marseilles Swing Bridge |