UP North Raccoon River Bridge

Located west of Jefferson, this large deck plate girder and stone arch bridge carries a former Chicago & North Western Railway mainline over the North Raccoon River. Originally, the railroad line crossed the river on a much lower southeast to northwest oriented structure, following a small creek out of the river valley. The first bridge at this location was likely a timber truss bridge set onto stone substructures, constructed when the line was first built. In 1875, a new iron Pratt through truss bridge was constructed, reusing the original stone substructures. As traffic on this line grew in the late 19th Century, it became important to the C&NW to upgrade the line, reducing grades and constructing sidings. In 1892, a contract exceeding $250,000 was awarded to D.D. Streeter & Company to rebuild the line between Jefferson and east of Scranton, complete with a new bridge constructed for two tracks. Work began in late 1892, and was finished by the end of the 1893 construction season. The new bridge crossed the river at an east to west orientation, above the original bridge. This bridge consisted of three 140-foot riveted quadruple intersection lattice deck truss spans, set onto stone piers and approached by two 32-foot stone arches at either end. Lassig Bridge & Iron Works fabricated the superstructure, while subcontractor George Garden constructed the approaches and substructures. This new alignment was one of the first double track segments of line between Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Council Bluffs, Iowa. The remainder of the line was double tracked between 1898 and 1902. By the late 1920s, the lattice deck truss span had become too light for the heavy traffic using this line. In 1928, contracts were awarded for the replacement of the bridge. During the summer of 1929, three new concrete piers were constructed, the arches rehabilitated and the deck truss spans replaced with the present deck plate girder spans. It is believed the three deck truss spans were reused at Bridge #2008 on the Southern Illinois Division, which crosses Cahokia Creek near Staunton, Illinois.

Currently, the bridge consists of six 70-foot double track deck plate girder spans, set onto steel bents supported by stone and concrete piers. The deck girder spans are approached by two large 32-foot stone arch spans on either end. The main spans use a standard design, with two heavy plate girders per track and an open deck. Typical of most stone arches constructed for the C&NW during this era, the approaches use a semicircular design, and are constructed at a width of 35 feet. The arches have been lined with a thick slab of concrete, which was completed during the 1929 reconstruction. Unique to this bridge, the river-facing ends of the approaches are notched to form a pier, which supports the steel. Taller bents are used at the concrete piers, while shorter bents are used at the stone piers and ends of the approaches. The taller bents use four levels, with heavy riveted I-beams and X-bracing at each level. The shorter bents use a triangular shape, with heavily riveted beams. The stone piers use a rectangular shape, while the concrete piers use a stepped rectangular shape. Much difficulty was encountered constructing the concrete piers, which required deep piles driven approximately 25 feet below the surface. American Bridge Company fabricated the superstructure and bents, while George Garden and possibly John A. Garden constructed the stone portions of the bridge. Stone for the bridge consists of a yellow limestone, typical of most C&NW bridges from this era. The stone was furnished by Fred Widell, who operated a large stone quarry in Mankato, Minnesota. Fred Widell was the older brother of Gustaf Widell, who purchased the quarry from Fred upon his death in 1895 and became a prominent railroad bridge contractor during the late 1890s and early 20th Century. Gaffin & Gehri constructed the concrete piers and made the repairs to the approaches. This firm was a preferred contractor of the C&NW, and completed numerous concrete bridges for the railroad between the 1910s and 1930s. Deck plate girder spans were popular for railroad use, as they were durable and easy to construct. Stone arches were popular for railroad use in the 19th Century, as they were durable, easy to construct and versatile. Stone arches were sometimes used as approaches to larger bridges, particularly at unstable or tall embankments. Since the 1929 reconstruction, the bridge has seen few alterations, and remains in regular use. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked the bridge as being moderately significant, due to the size, history and contractors involved in its construction.