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| Name | Lake Wobegon Trail - Getchell Creek Bridge Great Northern Railway Bridge #88.9 |
| Built By | Great Northern Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) |
| Superstructure Contractor (Main Span) | Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company of North Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Superstructure Contractor (West Approach) | American Bridge Company of New York |
| Superstructure Contractor (East Approach) | Unknown |
| Length | 105 Feet Total Total, 48 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 15 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Type | Deck Plate Girder and Steel Stringer |
| Substructure Type | Concrete |
| Date Fabricated | 1918 (West Approach) 1921 (Main Span) 1941 (East Approach |
| Date Erected | 1921 (Main Span) 1941 (Approaches) |
| Original Location (West Approach) | Bridge #1; Dean, Washington |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Trail) |
| Current Status | Open to trail traffic |
| Great Northern Railway Bridge Number | 88.9 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 10/18/2013 |
In 1872, the The St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Company (StP&P) constructed 35 miles of new railroad, extending from St. Cloud, Minnesota to Melrose, Minnesota. The line would be extended an additional 31 miles to Alexandria in 1878, and an additional 77 miles to Barnesville the following year. At Barnesville, the railroad connected to a previously constructed line, which reached the International Border at Noyes, Minnesota. At the end of 1879, the StP&P was sold to the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway (StPM&M). The StPM&M was controlled by railroad magnate James J. Hill, who sought to build a vast railroad network between the Twin Cities and the West Coast. In 1880, the Barnesville & Moorhead Railway Company completed an additional 23 miles between Barnesville and Moorhead. The railroad was promptly purchased by the StPM&M. The StPM&M was sold to another Hill controlled railroad, the Great Northern Railway (GN) in 1907.
The GN utilized this route as a mainline, connecting the Twin Cities to Fargo and points west. In 1970, GN merged with rival Northern Pacific Railway and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad to form Burlington Northern Railroad (BN). By 1981, the BN preferred the parallel former Northern Pacific route, which was built for double track. As a result, the segment from Collegeville to Avon was abandoned, and sold for future trail use. In 1986, BN sold the remainder of the line from Moorhead to Avon to the Otter Tail Valley Railroad (OTVR). OTVR operated the route until 1991, when the line between Avon and Fergus Falls was abandoned and acquired for future trail use. BN was merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1996, to form BNSF Railway. BNSF abandoned the segment between Collegeville and St. Joseph in 2002, and leased the St. Cloud to St. Joseph segment to Northern Lines Railroad. Today, OTVR continues to operate the Moorhead to Fergus Falls segment of this line, while Northern Lines operates the remaining stub to St. Joseph. The railroad from St. Joseph to Osakis has been turned into the Lake Wobegon Trail, and the line from Osakis to Fergus Falls has been turned into the Central Lakes Trail.
Located along Interstate 94 just east of Freeport, this deck plate girder bridge carries the Lake Wobegon Trail over Getchell Creek. The first bridge here consisted of a wooden trestle. In 1921, the bridge was replaced by a 48-foot deck plate girder span, approached by timber pile trestle spans. The bridge had become severely deteriorated by 1941, and as a result it was desired to replace the timber components of the bridge with steel. As a result, a new 33' steel stringer span would be installed on the east end, and a 32-foot deck plate girder span, fabricated in 1918 at Bridge #1 near Dean, Washington was installed on the west end of the bridge. The center span was shifted, and new concrete substructures constructed.
This design of bridge was commonly used by railroads, as it was durable and easy to construct. Railroads often reused old spans that were no longer needed at one location, as they often could feasibly be reused to save costs on bridge building. 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
| Erection date and original location of 32' span | Great Northern Railway Historical Society Online Archives |
| Contractors | plaques |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |