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| Name | CNW Telulah Canal Bridge Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #486A |
| Built By | Chicago & North Western Railway |
| Currently Owned By | City of Appleton |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Substructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 200 Feet Total, 30 Foot Spans |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 10 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder and Timber Pile Trestle |
| Substructure Design | Concrete and Timber Pile |
| Date Built | 1937, Using Spans Fabricated c. 1905 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Abandoned) |
| Current Status | Abandoned |
| Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge Number | 486A |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 9/27/2014; 10/8/2022 |
In 1876, the Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western Railway (MLS&W) constructed 20 miles of new railroad, extending from Appleton, Wisconsin to New London, Wisconsin. Work continued in 1878, with an additional 16 miles opening to Clintonville, Wisconsin. 19 additional miles were completed to Tigerton, Wisconsin in 1879, followed by 22 additional miles to Aniwa, Wisconsin in 1880. An additional 26 miles to Summit Lake, Wisconsin opened in 1881, followed by 29 additional miles to Three Lakes, Wisconsin in 1882; 57 additional miles to Gogebic, Michigan in 1883, 41 miles to Hurley, Wisconsin in 1884 and 40 miles to Ashland, Wisconsin in 1885. This line served as the mainline for the MLS&W, connecting Lake Michigan, the Fox River and Lake Superior. Due to the success of the MLS&W, the railroad was purchased by the Chicago & North Western Railway in 1893. The C&NW had acquired and constructed a vast network of railroad lines throughout the Midwest during the late 19th Century, and the MLS&W system provided more opportunities for expansion.
By the early 20th Century, the C&NW had constructed and acquired a large railroad network throughout the Midwest, making it one of the premiere railroads of the area. Throughout the first half of the 20th Century, this line remained critical for the C&NW, as it provided connections to a number of lines throughout central Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Throughout the mid-20th Century, pulpwood business and passenger trains provided a bulk of the business over the southern portion of the line, and transporting iron ore from the Gogebic Range to the ore docks at Ashland provided business for the northern part of this line. As industry began to diminish in this area, this line would be abandoned over a three year period. In 1981, segments from Clintonville to Eland and from Marenisco, Michigan to Hurley, Wisconsin would be abandoned. In 1982, the segment from Monico, Wisconsin to Watersmeet, Michigan would be abandoned. In 1983, segments from Watersmeet to Marenisco, Eland to Monico and New London to Clintonville would be abandoned.
In 1988, the C&NW sold the Appleton to New London segment to the Fox River Valley Railroad, which became the Fox Valley and Western Ltd. (FV&W) in 1993. The FV&W was a subsidiary of the successful Wisconsin Central Ltd. (WC), which had acquired a large amount of former Milwaukee Road and Soo Line trackage in Wisconsin. In 2001, WC was purchased by Canadian National Railway (CN), and became the American subsidiary of the railroad. In 2021, the Appleton to New London segment was sold to the Fox Valley & Lake Superior Rail System (FOXY). Today, FOXY operates the remaining line between Appleton and New London. Significant portions of the remaining line have been reused as bicycle and ATV/snowmobile trails.
Located along the Newberry Trail in Appleton, this deck plate girder bridge carries a former Chicago & North Western Railway spur over the Telulah Power Canal. A spur was first constructed to serve the Telulah Mill in 1891, reaching the C&NW mainline on the south side of the mill complex. The first bridge at this location consisted of two 69-foot and one 67-foot wooden Howe pony truss spans, set onto timber crib piers. This bridge was rebuilt in-kind in 1904. While wooden trusses were typically suitable for spurs, the C&NW made an effort to replace wooden trusses in the 20th Century. In 1937, the original wooden pony truss bridge would be replaced by the present steel and concrete bridge. Currently, the bridge consists of six 30-foot deck plate girder spans, approached by two timber pile trestle spans on the north end. The bridge is set onto a combination of concrete and timber pile substructures. Based on the design of the girders, it appears the girders may have been fabricated in approximately 1905 for use at an unknown location and later reused here. These spans consist of shallow girders, with four girder lines per span and no external stiffeners. This style of deck girder was commonly used for shallow girders fabricated in the early years of the 20th Century. The substructures follow a standard design for the era, with rectangular concrete piers. An unknown contractor fabricated the superstructure, while an additional unknown contractor constructed the concrete substructures. Deck girder spans were popular for railroad use, as they were durable and easy to construct. Railroads often reused steel and iron spans, as it provided a cost effective way to rebuild bridges on branch lines and spurs without requiring large amounts of new material. The bridge continued to serve an industry at the north end until the mid-1980s, when it was abandoned. In the 2010s, the bridge was acquired by the City of Appleton for trail use. As of 2026, there is no clear timeline on when the bridge may be repaired for a pedestrian bridge. 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 and unknown history.
Citations
| Build date | Chicago & North Western Valuation Map at the Chicago & North Western Historical Society Archives |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |