Kaukauna Railroad Bridge (South)

In 1871, the Appleton & New London Railway (A&NL) constructed 21 miles of new railroad, extending from Manitowoc, Wisconsin to Brillion, Wisconsin.  In 1872, an additional 20 miles of railroad were constructed to Appleton, Wisconsin via Kaukauna, Wisconsin.  A 1 mile extension was constructed in 1874 to cross the Fox River to downtown Appleton.  The A&NW was merged into the Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western Railway (MLS&W) in 1875, which again was reorganized with the same name in 1883.  Throughout the late 19th Century, a number of spurs would be constructed in Kaukauna and Appleton to serve industries.  One line, constructed in approximately 1888, was built to connect this line to the existing Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) line on the west side of the Fox River.  This line provided the MLS&W with connections throughout Kaukauna, Kimberly and Appleton, and was extended west in the late 1870s.  The MLS&W had constructed a handful of lines in northeast Wisconsin during the late 19th Century, primarily to connect Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.  Due to the success of the MLS&W, the railroad was purchased by the Chicago & North Western Railway in 1893.  The C&NW had acquired and constructed a vast network of railroad lines throughout the Midwest during the late 19th Century, and the MLS&W system provided more opportunities for expansion.  

By the early 20th Century, the C&NW had constructed and acquired a large railroad network throughout the Midwest, making it one of the premiere railroads of the area.  This line remained mainly an industrial and connecting line for the C&NW through the 20th Century.  A segment between Kaukauna and Forest Junction, Wisconsin was abandoned in 1971.  In 1978, the Manitowoc to Brillion segment would be abandoned, and the Brillion to Forest Junction segment sold to the Brillion & Forest Junction Railway (B&FJ).  This short line was ultimately abandoned in 1987.  By the late 20th Century, the C&NW sought to consolidate operations and abandon or sell unprofitable lines.  In 1988, the C&NW sold the Appleton to Kaukauna segment to the Fox River Valley Railroad, which became the Fox Valley and Western Ltd. (FV&W) in 1993.  The FV&W was a subsidiary of the successful Wisconsin Central Ltd. (WC), which had acquired a large amount of former Milwaukee Road and Soo Line trackage in Wisconsin. In 2001, WC was purchased by Canadian National Railway (CN), and became the American subsidiary of the railroad. A short segment was abandoned between Combined Locks, Wisconsin and Kaukauna in 2020.  In 2021, the remaining segment was sold to the Fox Valley & Lake Superior Rail System (FOXY). Today, FOXY operates the remainder of the line between Appleton and Combined Locks, and CN operates a short spur into Kaukauna from the north.  The remainder of the line has been abandoned, and short segments currently are utilized by trails.