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| Name | RI Rock Creek Bridge (Tipton) |
| Built By | Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Private Owner |
| Contractor | Unknown (Main Span) Unknown (Approach Span and Substructures) |
| Length | 104 Feet Total, 70 Foot Main Span; 24 Foot Remaining Span |
| Width | 1 Track (13 Feet) |
| Height Above Ground | 15 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder and Stone Arch |
| Substructure Design | Stone Masonry |
| Date Built | 1890 |
| Date Removed | 1940 (Main Span) |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Abandoned) |
| Current Status | Abandoned and Partially Removed |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 4/13/2024 |
In 1877, the Chicago, Clinton & Western Rail Road Company (CC&W) completed 9 miles of new railroad, extending from Elmira, Iowa on the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Minnesota Railway (BCR&M) to Iowa City, Iowa. At the same time, the CC&W completed 18 miles from Clinton, Iowa westward to an existing railroad between Long Grove, Iowa and DeWitt, Iowa at a junction known as Noels, Iowa. The CC&W became part of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railway (BCR&N) as part of a consolidation with the BCR&M. In 1880, the Iowa City & Western Railway (IC&W) constructed an additional 11 miles to Iowa Junction, Iowa; located on an existing BCR&N line. Between 1883 and 1884, the Cedar Rapids and Clinton Railway (CR&C) constructed an additional 46 miles of railroad, connecting Noels to the existing BCR&N line at Elmira. In addition, a short spur was constructed to Cedar Valley, Iowa to serve the Elmer J.C. Bealer Quarry, a supplier of high quality limestone which became instrumental in building bridges and buildings for the BCR&N, other railroads and local institutions. It is believed that the IC&W and CR&C were leased by the BCR&N sometime soon after the initial construction of the lines. During the late 19th Century, this railroad served as a secondary route, providing the BCR&N with several industrial connections.
By the turn of the 20th Century, the BCR&N operated over 1,000 miles of track throughout Iowa, connecting both small towns and large cities. In 1902, the BCR&N acquired the IC&W and CR&C. In June 1903, the BCR&N was acquired by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway (Rock Island), which operated a large railroad network through the midwestern United States. Much of this line directly paralleled an existing Rock Island mainline, which ran between Davenport, Iowa and Iowa City, Iowa. The first segment of this line to be abandoned came in 1918, when the Cedar Valley Spur was abandoned. In 1928 and 1929, the Rock Island abandoned the line between Elmira and Iowa City. Further abandonments came in 1940, when the Rock Island abandoned segments between Clinton and Bennett, Iowa; as well as between Tipton, Iowa and Elmira. The segment between Bennett and Tipton would be abandoned in 1943.
The Rock Island struggled financially throughout much of its history, experiencing repeated bankruptcies and chronic instability. After World War II, the Rock Island struggled to survive, proposing mergers and deferring maintenance on their routes. The railroad reorganized as the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad in 1948. By the mid-1970s, the railroad was in serious decline. The railroad secured loans to eliminate slow orders, acquired new equipment, and attempted to restore profitability. In 1978, the railroad came close to profit, but creditors were lobbying for a complete shutdown of the Rock Island. The segment between Hills, Iowa and Iowa Junction was abandoned during that year. During the fall of 1979, a strike crippled the railroad, and by January of 1980, the entire system was ordered to be shut down and liquidated. Profitable sections of railroad were prepared for sale, and the remaining segment between Iowa City and Hills was sold to the Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway (CIC). Today, the CIC operates the remaining portion of this line as the Hills Branch, while the remainder of the line has been abandoned.
Located along 220th Street west of Tipton, this stone arch span is all that remains of a larger bridge which once carried a former Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad (Rock Island) branch line over Rock Creek. The first bridge at this location was likely a timber pile trestle, constructed when the line was first built. It is believed that the bridge was rebuilt with a wooden pony truss or wooden through truss in the 1880s, which was set onto stone abutments. Severe flooding in June 1890 reportedly destroyed this bridge, and the structure was replaced by a new iron girder and stone arch bridge later that year. The bridge remained in that configuration until 1940, when the iron girder main span was removed as part of the abandonment of this line. It is unclear if this main span was reused at another location or if it was scrapped. The west stone abutment was removed in the mid-1950s, leaving the stone arch approach as the sole remaining portion of this structure. Initially, the bridge consisted of a 70-foot deck plate girder span, approached by a 24-foot stone arch span on the west end. The entire bridge was set onto stone substructures and constructed for a single track, with the stone arch span constructed at a width of 13 feet. Little is known about the girder span, although it is believed to have used two heavy iron girders and an open deck. The stone arch span follows an unusual design, with a semicircular arch constructed of cut limestone. The arch is set onto a pier at the west end, and is built into an abutment at the east end. The pier consists of a standard rectangular structure with a wider brim, which also is constructed of limestone. The east abutment is rectangular in shape with stepped stone behind the arch. It is unclear if this abutment once had wing walls or if it was built directly into the approach embankment. Stone for the structure consists of a tan limestone, likely quarried at Cedar Valley Quarry located a few miles west of this bridge. An unknown contractor fabricated the main span, and it is unclear if the substructures and approach span were constructed by railroad company forces or by an unknown contractor. Deck plate girder spans were popular for railroad use, as they were durable and easy to construct. Stone arches were also popular for railroad use in the 19th Century, and sometimes served as approaches to metal bridges. After removal of the main span, both approach embankments were regraded and 220th Street was realigned. Any alterations to the east abutment would have occurred at this time. Today, the remaining stone arch is abandoned and privately owned, but is easily seen from 220th Street. Overall, the remaining arch appears to be in fair condition, although some of the top layer of stones have been removed. The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design and significant alterations from its original configuration.
Citations
| Build date | Date carving |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |