CN Oak Avenue Bridge (Webster City)

In 1857, the Dubuque and Pacific Railroad (D&P) began construction of a new mainline across central Iowa, which sought to link to the existing Illinois Central Railroad (IC) at Dubuque, Iowa.  In May 1857, the first 29 miles were completed between Dubuque and Dyersville, Iowa.  In March 1860, the line was completed an additional 49 miles from Dyersville to Jesup, Iowa.  In 1860, the D&P was sold to the Dubuque and Sioux City Railroad (D&SC).  The D&SC completed an additional 22 miles to Cedar Falls, Iowa in 1861; followed by an additional 43 miles to Iowa Falls, Iowa in 1866.  By 1867, the IC had garnered interest in this line, and leased the D&SC.  The following year, a bridge across the Mississippi River at Dubuque was completed to link this line and the IC line towards Freeport, Illinois.  In August 1869, the Iowa Falls and Sioux City Railroad (IF&SC) completed an additional 49 miles from Iowa Falls to Fort Dodge, Iowa.  In October 1870, an additional 135 miles were completed west to the Missouri River at Sioux City, Iowa.  The IF&SC was also affiliated with the D&SC and IC; and was fully merged into the D&SC in 1888.   

By the late 19th Century, the IC had developed and operated a sprawling railroad network in the central United States.  This line served as a principal mainline for the company, connecting Chicago to the Missouri River at Sioux City.  In the 20th Century, the IC had become a respected railroad, connecting several major cities in the central United States.  The D&SC was fully merged into the IC in 1946.  In 1972, the IC merged with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad (GM&O) to form the Illinois Central Gulf (ICG).  The entire IC system in Iowa, as well as the line between Dubuque and Chicago, were sold to the Chicago Central & Pacific Railroad (CC&P) in 1995.  In 1988, the ICG was reorganized as the Illinois Central Railroad (IC).  In 1996, the CC&P was repurchased by IC and in 1998, IC was purchased by the Canadian National Railway (CN).  Today, CN operates the Dubuque Subdivision between Dubuque and Waterloo, Iowa; the Waterloo Subdivision between Waterloo and Fort Dodge, and the Cherokee Subdivision between Fort Dodge and Sioux City.