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Name	Raccoon River Valley Trail - Mosquito Creek Bridge (Jamaica) Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Bridge #Y-126
Built By	Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway
Currently Owned By	Guthrie County Conservation Board
Superstructure Contractor	Unknown
Superstructure Builder	Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company Forces
Length	70 Feet Total, 35 Foot Spans
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Design	Concrete
Date Built	1902
Traffic Count	0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Open to Pedestrian Traffic)
Current Status	Open to Pedestrian Traffic
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Bridge Number	Y-126
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	10/28/2018

In 1878, the Des Moines, Adel and Western Rail Road (DMA&W) constructed a short 8-mile narrow gauge line, extending from Waukee, Iowa to Adel, Iowa. In 1879, the line was extended an additional 21 miles to Panora, Iowa. In 1880, the DMA&W changed its name to the Des Moines and Northwestern Railway (DM&NW). In 1881, the St. Louis, Des Moines and Northern Railway (StLDM&N) constructed an additional 15 miles of railroad, extending from Des Moines, Iowa to the existing line at Waukee. The segment between Clive, Iowa and Waukee; and a one-half interest in the Des Moines to Clive segment were sold to the DM&NW soon after completion. Between 1881 and 1882, the DM&NW an additional 70 miles north to Fonda, Iowa. By 1891, the line would be converted to standard gauge. In 1895, the DM&NW was consolidated into the Des Moines, Northern & Western Railroad (DMN&W). In 1899, the DMN&W was sold to the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road). The Milwaukee Road completed an additional 44 miles of track between Fonda and the existing mainline at Spencer, Iowa. By the late 19th Century, the Milwaukee Road had developed a large railroad network throughout the Midwest. This line served as a secondary line, providing the Milwaukee Road with a connection to Des Moines.

The Milwaukee Road was often in financial trouble, especially after the costly Pacific Extension was completed in 1909. In 1925, the company declared bankruptcy, and reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in 1928. Despite the financial strain, this line remained an important mainline for the Milwaukee Road. Financial hardship continued through the 20th Century for the Milwaukee Road, and the railroad again filed for bankruptcy in 1977. In 1980, the Milwaukee Road abandoned much of the Iowa Division, including the entirety of this line. A segment between Des Moines and Clive was sold to the Norfolk and Western Railway (NW). A segment between Clive and Jefferson, Iowa; as well as a segment between Albert City, Iowa and Marathon, Iowa were sold to the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW). In 1982, NW was merged with the Southern Railway to form Norfolk Southern Railway (NS). NS began leasing the Des Moines to Clive segment to Iowa Interstate Railroad (IAIS) to serve some industries on the west side of Des Moines. After plans for a power plant near Panora were abandoned, C&NW abandoned the Clive to Yale, Iowa segment in 1987. In 1990, the C&NW abandoned the Herndon, Iowa to Jefferson segment. In 1995, the C&NW was purchased by Union Pacific Railroad (UP). In 1999, UP abandoned the segment between Yale and Herndon. Today, IAIS still operates the Des Moines to Clive segment as part of the Grimes Industrial Lead. UP operates the Albert City to Marathon segment as part of the Laurens Subdivision. A large segment between Clive and Jefferson has been reused as the Clive Greenbelt Trail and the Raccoon River Valley Trail. The remainder of the line has been abandoned and largely reverted to adjacent landowners.

Located between Yale and Jamaica, this deck plate girder bridge carries a former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) branch line over Mosquito Creek. The first bridge at this location was likely a timber pile trestle bridge, constructed when the line was first built. In 1902, the Milwaukee Road invested significant capital into this line, replacing a handful of timber bridges with steel and concrete structures. During that year, the present deck plate girder bridge was constructed. Currently, the bridge consists of two 35-foot deck plate girder spans, set onto concrete substructures. The superstructure follows a standard design, with two modest sized girders per track and an open deck. The pier uses a rectangular shape, while the abutments have sloped wing walls which extend diagonally from the bridge. An unknown contractor fabricated the superstructure, while the substructure was constructed by labor employed by the Milwaukee Road Bridge & Building Department. Deck plate girder spans were commonly used by railroads, as they were durable and easy to construct. Since the initial construction, the only major alteration to the bridge came in 1940, when the center pier was encased in concrete. After abandonment, a concrete deck was added to the bridge and wooden railings were installed. Today, the bridge continues to carry the Raccoon River Valley Trail, a popular multi-use trail in Central Iowa. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.

Build date	Milwaukee Road Bridge Index, located at the Milwaukee Road Archives at the Milwaukee Public Library
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele

Raccoon River Valley Trail - Mosquito Creek Bridge (Jamaica)

Jamaica, Guthrie County, Iowa