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.
01/14/22
Located in Utica, this small pony truss bridge crosses the I&M Canal.
Built in 1890, this bridge was constructed to provide access to industry south of the I&M Canal.
The structure is a simple 7 panel, riveted Double Intersection Warren Pony Truss, set onto stone substructures. It has been abandoned since around 1980.
Since being abandoned, the bridge has been protected as part of the I&M Canal Heritage Area.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with some minor deterioration noted. It is hoped the bridge can continue to be preserved.
The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.
The photo above is an overview.
| Upstream | Marseilles Swing Bridge |
| Downstream | La Salle Rail Bridge |