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| Name | MILW - Indian Creek Bridge (Marion) Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Bridge #Z-798 |
| Built By | Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway |
| Currently Owned By | City of Marion |
| Superstructure Contractor | Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company of North Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Substructure Builder | Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company Forces |
| Length | 338 Feet Total, 90 Foot Spans |
| Width | 2 Tracks |
| Height Above Ground | 40 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder and Concrete Arch Skeleton Abutment |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1915 |
| Date Replaced | 2020 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge has been Replaced) |
| Current Status | Replaced By a New Bridge; Girders Reused In Replacement Bridge |
| Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Bridge Number | Z-798 |
| Significance | Moderate Significance |
| Documentation Date | 8/10/2013 |
In 1870, the Sabula, Ackley & Dakota Rail Road (SA&D) constructed a 21-mile railroad line, extending from the Mississippi River at Sabula, Iowa to Preston, Iowa. The following year, an additional 12 miles were completed to Delmar, Iowa. In 1872, an additional 54 miles were completed to Marion, Iowa. In 1872, the SA&D was conveyed to the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (M&StP), which reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road) in 1874. In 1882, the Milwaukee Road completed an additional 257 miles between Marion and Council Bluffs, Iowa; completing a mainline from the Mississippi River to the Missouri River. The same year, a bridge across the Mississippi River was completed at Sabula, which connected to the existing Milwaukee Road system in Illinois. By the late 19th Century, the Milwaukee Road had developed a large railroad network throughout the Midwest. This line quickly became a principal mainline for the Milwaukee Road, and allowed for the connection and construction of other branch lines throughout Iowa.
In 1901, a short 12-mile cutoff was completed between Green Island, Iowa and Browns Junction, Iowa; which shortened the distance and provided better grades. The original line was retained as a second track. In the early 20th Century, the Milwaukee Road was aware of the importance of this line, and a massive construction project was planned to modernize the line. Between 1912 and 1915, the line between Green Island and Manilla, Iowa was extensively rebuilt, with a second track constructed and large sections of line relocated. The result was one of the most modern double track lines in Iowa, complete with smooth curves, gentle grades and new bridges. After completion of the project, some short sections of the original line were retained as spurs, which were abandoned by the early 1920s. The Milwaukee Road failed to accurately project the level of traffic over this line, and traffic never reached the threshold that required a double track line. The Milwaukee Road was often in financial trouble, especially after the costly Pacific Extension was completed in 1909. In 1925, the company declared bankruptcy, and reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in 1928. Despite the financial strain, this line remained an important mainline for the Milwaukee Road. Segments between Marion and Covington, Iowa; Newhall, Iowa and Collins, Iowa; and Madrid, Iowa and Templeton, Iowa were reduced to a single track in 1934. The segment between Green Island and Paralta, Iowa was reduced to a single track in 1950; the segment between Paralta and Marion in 1954; the segment between Collins and Madrid, Iowa in 1956 and the segment between Covington and Newhall in 1964. In addition, the original line east of Browns Junction was abandoned in 1950. Financial hardship continued through the 20th Century for the Milwaukee Road, and the railroad again filed bankruptcy in 1977. In 1980, the Milwaukee Road decided to abandon the entire Iowa Division mainline. The segment between Bayard, Iowa and Council Bluffs was sold to Burlington Northern Railroad (BN). Segments between Perry, Iowa and Bayard and between Slater, Iowa and Woodward were sold to the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW). A short segment at Marion was sold to the Chicago Central & Pacific Railroad (CC).
In 1985, the segment between Herndon and Bayard was abandoned by the C&NW. In 1995, the C&NW was purchased by Union Pacific Railroad (UP). In 1996, BN merged with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway to form BNSF Railway. The CC was purchased by Illinois Central Railroad (IC) in 1996, and the IC was purchased by Canadian National Railway (CN) in 1998. In 1999, the segment between Dawson, Iowa and Herndon was abandoned by UP. In 2002, most of the segment at Marion was abandoned by CN. Between 2003 and 2004, the remaining portions between Slater and Woodward and between Perry and Dawson were abandoned by UP. Today, BNSF operates the Bayard to Council Bluffs segment as the Bayard Subdivision, and CN still operates a short segment of line in Hiawatha. Linn County has developed large sections around Marion into the Grant Wood Trail. A section west of Rhodes, Iowa has been reused as a trail; and segments between Collins and Slater have been reused as the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail. Much of the line between Slater and Perry has been reused as the High Trestle Trail; and the line between Perry and Herndon has been reused as the Raccoon River Valley Trail. Remaining segments have been abandoned, with much of the right-of-way still intact. In addition, large segments of the original right-of-way that was replaced in the early 20th Century remain intact.
Located in Marion, this large deck plate girder bridge once carried a former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) mainline over Indian Creek. The first bridge at this location likely consisted of a timber truss bridge, constructed when the line was first built. In 1886, the bridge was rebuilt with a pin-connected iron Pratt deck truss span, set onto stone piers and approached by timber pile trestle spans. At some point in the 19th Century, the bridge was raised by adding an additional story of bents to the approaches, and constructing timber pile trestle spans above the truss. Between 1912 and 1915, the Milwaukee Road reconstructed the mainline across Iowa, improving the alignment and grades, constructing new bridges and adding a second track. Between 1914 and 1915, a new steel and concrete bridge was constructed. The bridge consisted of two 90-foot deck plate girder spans, approached by an 80-foot concrete arch skeleton abutment on the east end and a 78-foot concrete arch skeleton abutment on the west end. The entire bridge was set onto concrete substructures, and used a concrete ballast deck. Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company fabricated the girder spans, while the abutments and pier were constructed by labor employed by the Milwaukee Road Bridge & Building Department.
The bridge followed a design used at a handful of locations throughout the Milwaukee Road system. The main spans consisted of two heavy plate girders per track, covered by a concrete ballast deck. The approach spans consisted of a standard concrete skeleton abutment design, which appeared as a hybrid of concrete arch, concrete slab and concrete beam designs. Each approach used three lines of arched longitudinal concrete beams to connect the piers and abutments to form three spans. These three beams were connected by square transverse beams at the mid-point of each span, forming six cells per track. The piers adjacent to the girder spans consisted of three massive concrete columns, which were connected by transverse concrete arches at the mid-point and at the top. The middle piers of each skeleton abutment used three concrete columns, which were connected by an arched transverse beam at the top. The abutment used a solid concrete backwall and elongated U-shaped walls extending parallel to the track. Each approach/substructure appeared to have been constructed as one large unit. The center pier used three large concrete columns, connected by a concrete arch at the top. The entire substructure is believed to have been founded on timber piles.
Skeleton abutments were often used by the Milwaukee Road, particularly in areas where tall approach embankments would be prone to scour or failure. A handful of different variations of this design were used by the Milwaukee Road, but the most common used a concrete arch fascia to give the appearance of concrete arches. Despite the appearance, these approaches do not function like a concrete arch and instead are more similar to a beam or slab bridge. Deck plate girder spans were also popular for railroad use, as they were durable and easy to construct. After the 2002 abandonment, this bridge was acquired by the City of Marion and remained unused. In 2020, the bridge was demolished and the girder spans salvaged for reuse on a modern pedestrian bridge. At the time of demolition, the bridge appeared to be in fair condition, with some spalling noted throughout the concrete. Despite the relatively minor defects, the City of Marion decided to demolish the bridge due to uncertainty regarding the design and quality of construction of the concrete approaches and substructures. A modern bridge was completed in 2021 to carry the Grant Wood Trail. This bridge consists of shortened girders salvaged from the original railroad bridge and rebuilt to carry a trail deck. The new concrete substructures mimic the arch appearance of the original railroad bridge. While the author appreciates that the girders were salvaged for reuse, the author also wonders if rehabilitating the existing bridge would have been both more cost effective and minimized adverse impacts to a historic property. The author has ranked the bridge as being moderately significant, as the bridge was an excellent example of a girder and skeleton abutment design.
Citations
| Build date and builder (superstructure) | Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |