UP S. Branch Lizard Creek Bridge

In the late 1850s and 1860s, the Des Moines Valley Railroad (DMV) and predecessors had constructed a significant railroad line, connecting Keokuk, Iowa and Des Moines, Iowa.  Between 1869 and 1870, the DMV continued constructing northwest from Des Moines; completing 82 miles to Tara, Iowa.  In 1873, the DMV was split into two separate sections, with the Keokuk, Iowa to Des Moines segment being sold to the Keokuk & Des Moines Railway (later leased/owned by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway); and the Des Moines to Tara segment being sold to the Des Moines & Fort Dodge Railroad (DM&FD).  In 1882, the DM&FD completed an additional 50 miles, reaching Ruthven, Iowa.  In 1887, the DM&FD was leased by the Rock Island, and the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad (M&StL) began leasing the line in 1905.  In 1915, the DM&FD was outright purchased by the M&StL.  This line served as a secondary mainline for the M&StL, connecting to other secondary mainlines at Fort Dodge and Ruthven.  Between Fort Dodge and Tara, the M&StL obtained trackage rights over the Illinois Central Railroad to connect their lines.  Between Ruthven and Spencer, Iowa; the M&StL obtained trackage rights over the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road) to connect their lines.  At Des Moines, the line connected to a jointly-owned line with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CB&Q), which connected this line to the principal mainline at Oskaloosa, Iowa.

The M&StL was a small midwestern railroad, connecting Minneapolis, Minnesota to Peoria, Illinois.  The M&StL mainly served as a bridge railroad, allowing eastern and western railroads to interchange while bypassing the congested terminals at Chicago.  Because the M&StL had light freight density and limited passenger service, the railroad survived on razor thin margins and often was in financial stress.  The M&StL would later reorganize as the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway in approximately 1920.  Through the 1930s, the railroad focused on trimming excess routes and improving the financial situation.  After leaving receivership in 1943, the M&StL invested significant capital upgrading infrastructure and modernizing equipment.  By the 1950s, it became clear that the M&StL would need to merge with a larger railroad to survive.  In 1960, the M&StL was purchased by the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) during one of the first major railroad consolidations in the second half of the 20th Century.  

Because of the agricultural industries connected to this line, significant sections of line remained profitable far longer than other M&StL lines.  In 1981, the Mallard to Ruthven segment was abandoned, followed by the Rippey to Grand Junction segment in 1984.  In 1989, the segment between Perry and Rippey would be abandoned.  In 1995, the C&NW was purchased by Union Pacific Railroad (UP).  In 2004, the line between Waukee and Perry would be abandoned.  Today, UP operates the Tara Subdivision between Grand Junction and Rippey and the Waukee Industrial Lead between Des Moines and Waukee.  The segment between Waukee and Perry has been reused as part of the Raccoon River Valley Trail.  The remainder of the line has been abandoned and reverted to adjacent landowers.