- 1881: 9 miles completed from Merrilan to Neillsville, Wisconsin by the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway
- 1883: The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway is controlled by the Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1889: 24 miles completed from Neillsville to Marshfield, Wisconsin by the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway
- 1957: The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway is leased by the Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1972: The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway is fully absorbed by the Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1981: Merrillan to Marshfield abandoned
10/25/22
This unique bridge is the northern crossing of Big Bull Falls, as the line heads towards Barker Island.
Erected in 1921, the bridge is composed of a pair of heavily skewed Quadrangular Through Trusses. In addition to the trusses, a pair of secondhand through girders approaches on the north end. The history of these spans is unknown.
The two truss spans are each Quadrangular Through Truss spans with riveted connections. These two trusses feature a heavy skew, and the portals indicate early 1880s structures.
Bridge #126 crossing the Zumbro River at Rochester, Minnesota. Photo courtesy of Chicago & North Western Railway Historical Society archives.
While a wooden truss bridge existed here prior to 1913, the old bridge was destroyed in a flood in 1913. Another wooden bridge was erected to replace the flood destroyed bridge.
In addition to the skew, the bridge also features a slight curve. It is unknown if these spans were rebuilt to serve the curve. Overall, the bridge remains in good condition.
The author has ranked this bridge as being highly significant, due to the uncommon configuration of the bridge. In addition, the west truss is a highly significant piece of engineering from the early 1880s, uncommon on modern freight railroads.
The bridge can be accessed from the island or from the mainland. The photo above is an overview.
| Upstream (East Channel) | Barker Island Trail Bridge |
| Downstream (East Channel) | Big Bull Falls Rail Bridge (E) |