CN South Main Street Bridge (Decatur)

In 1851, the State of Illinois authorized the construction of a series of railroad lines, extending from Cairo, Illinois; located on the Ohio River, to the Mississippi River at East Dubuque, Illinois and to Chicago, Illinois.  The State awarded the Illinois Central Railroad (IC) with the land necessary to construct the new lines.  Surveys began in 1851, and the first segments were completed by 1853.  The northwestern section connected Freeport, Illinois to East Dubuque, Illinois.  Construction was completed on this segment in 1855, and the line would later be extended across Iowa with a bridge over the Mississippi River to Dubuque in 1868.  In 1890, the Chicago, Madison & Northern Railroad (CM&N), a subsidiary of the IC, constructed 102 miles of new railroad between Chicago and Freeport, Illinois; linking Chicago with the IC lines in northern Illinois.  This served as an important connection for the IC, improving access to Chicago for the railroad.  Due to heavy use, the section from Chicago to Broadview would be double tracked by 1895.  The CM&N would be operated under lease by the IC until 1903, when it was consolidated into the IC.  In the 20th Century, the IC was a respected railroad, operating an extensive railroad network through the central United States.  This line served as a mainline for the IC, connecting lines in Iowa to Chicago.  In 1972, the IC merged with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad (GM&O) to form the Illinois Central Gulf (ICG).  This line, as well as the entire IC system in Iowa, was sold to the Chicago Central & Pacific Railroad (CC&P) in 1995.  In 1988, the ICG was reorganized as the Illinois Central Railroad (IC).  In 1995, the CC&P was repurchased by IC and in 1998, IC was purchased by the Canadian National Railway (CN).  Today, CN operates the Freeport Subdivision between Broadview and Freeport, and the portion between Freeport and Dubuque is part of the Dubuque Subdivision.