CN North Branch Manitowoc River Bridge (Potter)

Name	CN North Branch Manitowoc River Bridge (Potter)
Built By	Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad
Currently Owned By	Canadian National Railway
Superstructure Contractor	Unknown
Length	266 Feet Total, 25 Foot Main Spans
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Steel Stringer and Timber Pile Trestle
Substructure Design	Timber Pile
Date Built	c. 1930
Traffic Count	2 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Canadian National Railway Bridge Number	20.89
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	8/5/2016

In 1882, the Wisconsin Central Railway (WC) constructed a short branch from Neenah, Wisconsin to Menasha, Wisconsin. The WC was reorganized as the Wisconsin Central Railroad (WC) in 1888. Between 1895 and 1896, the Milwaukee and Lake Winnebago Railroad (M&LW) constructed a 27 mile line between Hilbert Junction, Wisconsin and Manitowoc, Wisconsin. To reach the WC line at Neenah, the railroad utilized trackage rights over the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road). The M&LW and the WC were sold to a reorganized Wisconsin Central Railway (WC) in 1899. This line provided the WC with a connection to Lake Michigan, and the WC served numerous industries in Manitowoc. In addition, the WC operated three separate car ferries, which connected to eastern railroads in Michigan. In 1909, the WC would be leased by the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway (Soo Line), which itself was controlled by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP).

The Soo Line had constructed a large network of railroads, connecting the Upper Midwest with Canadian Railroads. Throughout the early 20th Century, this line remained a secondary line for the Soo Line, which served several large industries, as well as the car ferries. In 1961, the WC would be merged with other CP subsidiaries Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railroad and the Soo Line to form Soo Line Railroad, a company controlled by CP. In the late 20th Century, the car ferry operations were discontinued, reducing the importance of this line. In 1984, the Soo Line would be reorganized as the Soo Line Corporation in advance of a pending purchase of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road). In 1987, this line would be sold to Wisconsin Central, Ltd. (WC). Known as the "new" Wisconsin Central, the railroad acquired several excess rail lines from the Soo Line, Milwaukee Road and Chicago & North Western Railway. In 2001, WC was merged into Canadian National Railway (CN), becoming the American subsidiary of CN. A short segment in Manitowoc was abandoned and removed in the mid-2000s. Today, CN continues to operate this line as the Manitowoc Subdivision, which connects other CN lines near Manitowoc to the rest of the CN system.

Located on the east side of Potter, this simple steel stringer and timber pile trestle bridge carries the former Soo Line Manitowoc Branch over the North Branch Manitowoc River. The first bridges at this location consisted of timber pile trestle structures, initially constructed when the line was first built and renewed occasionally through the early 20th Century. In approximately 1930, the bridge was rebuilt with two steel stringer spans near the center of the structure. Currently, the bridge consists of two 25-foot steel stringer spans, set onto timber pile piers and approached by timber pile trestle spans on either end. The steel stringers use a standard design, with shallow beams and four beams per span. The remainder of the bridge also uses a standard design, with treated round piles, caps and stringers. An unknown contractor fabricated the steel spans, and it is believed that the remainder of the bridge was constructed by railroad company forces. Steel stringer and timber pile trestle bridges were commonly used by railroads, as they were economical and easy to construct. It appears that the stringers and caps of the approaches were replaced by newer treated timber in the late 20th or early 21st Century. Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.

CN North Branch Manitowoc River Bridge (Potter)

Potter, Calumet County, Wisconsin