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| Name | Barker-Stewart Island Trail Bridge Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #G-316 1/2 |
| Built By | Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway |
| Currently Owned By | City of Wausau |
| Superstructure Contractor | Lassig Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago (Through Girder Span) Unknown (Deck Girder Spans) |
| Length | 302 Feet Total, 77 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 10 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Through Plate Girder, Deck Plate Girder and Timber Pile Trestle |
| Substructure Design | Timber Pile |
| Date Fabricated | 1899 (Deck Girder Spans) 1900 (Through Girder Span) |
| Date Erected | 1908 |
| Original Location (Through Girder) | Bridge #Z-814; Cedar River Bridge; Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
| Original Location (Deck Girders) | Bridge #Z-988; Iowa Central Railway Overhead Crossing; Ferguson, Iowa |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Open to Pedestrian Traffic) |
| Current Status | Open to Pedestrian Traffic |
| Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge Number | G-316 1/2 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 8/14/2014 |
In 1873, the Wisconsin Valley Railroad (WV) constructed 43 miles of new railroad, extending from Tomah, Wisconsin to Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. The following year, an additional 41 miles would be constructed to Wausau, Wisconsin. In 1877, the Necedah & Camp Douglas Railroad (N&CD) constructed 12 miles of new railroad, extending from the existing Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road) line at New Lisbon, Wisconsin to Necedah, Wisconsin, Wisconsin. In 1878, the N&CD was acquired by the Milwaukee Road, which completed the tracks to Necedah. In 1879, the WV constructed an additional 19 miles north to Merrill, Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Road also acquired the WV in 1880. A 54 mile extension was opened to Minocqua, Wisconsin in 1887. In 1890, the Lisbon, Necedah & Lake Superior Railway (LN&LS) began construction on 22 miles of additional track, connecting Necedah to Babock, Wisconsin. This construction was funded by the Milwaukee Road, and by the following year, the railroad was absorbed into the Milwaukee Road. In 1895, the railroad extended further to Star Lake, Wisconsin, near the Michigan border.
By the early 20th Century, the Milwaukee Road was among the largest railroads in the United States, operating a network of railroad lines over 10,000 miles in length. 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. This line served as a secondary route for the Milwaukee Road, and allowed for the construction of numerous branch lines. A portion of the line between Tomah and Norway was abandoned in 1925, followed by the Norway to Babcock segment in 1934. The line mainly served the timber industry in northern Wisconsin. As the logging industry died out, portions of the line would be abandoned. The line was abandoned between Star Lake and Woodruff in 1944. Despite the diminishing importance of forestry, the line remained well used by passengers to reach the scenic lakes of north central Wisconsin. In 1972, the line was abandoned between Minocqua and Tomahawk, and acquired by the State of Wisconsin for trail use.
The Milwaukee Road again entered bankruptcy in 1977 and was forced to liquidate unprofitable lines. The southern portion of the line remained a core line for the Milwaukee Road, and saw some upgrades in the early 1980s. By 1985, a suitor for the Milwaukee Road was being sought, and the Soo Line Railroad, controlled by Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) purchased the Milwaukee Road in 1986. In 1987, the line was sold to the Wisconsin Central, Ltd. (WC). The WC was formed to purchase a number of secondary routes in eastern Wisconsin from the Soo Line, which included Soo Line and former Milwaukee Road trackage. In 2001, the WC was purchased by Canadian National Railway (CN). In January 2022, the line north of Wausau would be sold to the Fox Valley & Lake Superior Rail System (FOXY), owned by Watco. Today, CN operates the line between New Lisbon and Wausau as the Valley Subdivision; while FOXY operates the line between Wausau and Tomahawk. The Tomahawk to Woodruff segment is part of the Bearskin Trail.
Located in the northeast corner of Barker-Stewart Island, this girder bridge carries a former spur of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad over the east channel of the Wisconsin River. It is unknown if there was a previous bridge at this location. In 1908, the present bridge would be constructed using secondhand girder spans. Currently, the bridge consists of a 77-foot type C4 through plate girder span, approached by a 38-foot and a 36-foot type A deck plate girder span on either end. The entire bridge is set onto timber pile substructures, and the steel spans are approached by two timber pile trestle spans on either end. The through girder span was originally fabricated in 1900 by the Lassig Bridge & Iron Works for Bridge #Z-814 across the Cedar River on the north side of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The deck girder spans were originally fabricated in 1899 by an unknown contractor for Bridge #Z-988, which carried the Iowa Central Railway over the Milwaukee Road near Ferguson, Iowa. It does not appear that the steel spans were significantly altered upon relocation. Timber components of the bridge were constructed by railroad company forces.
The through girder span uses a standard design, with heavy girders, a traditionally composed floor and square girder ends. A type C4 through girder span differs from a C3 through girder span in the arrangement of the stringers. While a C3 girder uses four shallow stringers, C4 girders use a more traditional arrangement of two heavier stringers set directly under the rails. The deck girders use a slightly unusual design, with heavily riveted shallow girders. Because the Milwaukee Road retained these spans, it is likely that the spans were designed by the Milwaukee Road instead of the Iowa Central Railway. Girder spans were popular for railroad use, as they were durable and easy to construct. The use of timber substructures was common for Milwaukee Road branch lines, as the material was cheap and easy to install.
Other spans from the Cedar Rapids and Ferguson bridges were also reused throughout the Milwaukee Road system. The Cedar Rapids bridge was originally comprised of three 152-foot Pratt through trusses and one 77-foot through plate girder. After a new alignment was completed in 1907, two truss spans were reused at Bridge #T-252 across the Big Sioux River at North Sioux City, South Dakota and one at Bridge #T-480 across the Big Sioux River near Elk Point, South Dakota. The Ferguson bridge is believed to have originally been composed of five deck plate girder spans. When the Milwaukee Road double tracked their line, the bridge would be replaced by a wider structure, and the spans reused elsewhere. A 42-foot span was reused as an overpass at Bridge #C-62 1/2 in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin; while the remaining spans were reused here. Bridge #T-252 was destroyed in a flood in 2024; while Bridge #T-480 remains in use. Bridge #C-62 1/2 was replaced in the mid-1990s. Railroads often reused steel spans, as it provided a cost effective way to replace branch line bridges without requiring large amounts of new material. Since abandonment, the bridge has been reused for a pedestrian trail, and a wooden deck and handrails installed. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Build dates | Milwaukee Road Drawing Collection, located at the Milwaukee Road Archives at the Milwaukee Public Library |
| Builder (main span) | Based on spans from same bridge |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |