Hawarden Railroad Bridge (South)

Name	Hawarden Railroad Bridge (South) Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #2601
Built By	Chicago & North Western Railway
Currently Owned By	D&I Railroad
Superstructure Contractor	Unknown (Trusses) American Bridge Company (Lassig Branch of Chicago) (Girders)
Length	1082 Feet Total, 144 Foot 6 Inch Largest Span
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Quadrangular Lattice Through Truss and Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Design	Stone Masonry
Date Built	1904, Approach Added 1913
Traffic Count	2 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge Number	2601
Significance	Moderate Significance
Documentation Date	1/1/2016

In 1881, the Toledo & Northwestern Railway (T&NW) began construction on a 145-mile railroad line extending from Eagle Grove, Iowa to Hawarden, Iowa. In 1883, the Dakota Central Railway (DC) continued the line, constructing an additional 125 miles between Hawarden and Iroquois, South Dakota. The T&NW became part of the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) in 1890, and the DC became part of the C&NW in 1902. The C&NW operated a large amount of railroad throughout the Midwest, particularly in Iowa. This line served as a connection between major routes in Iowa, and the Dakota Division mainline at Iroquois. Because this line became a branch line, service on the line dwindled. The first segment abandoned was from Orange City to Hawarden in 1975. The Beresford to Iroqouis segment was abandoned in 1979, and the Hawarden too Beresford segment sold to the State of South Dakota in 1980, and the Marathon to Orange City segment abandoned the same year. The D&I Railroad began operations over the Beresford Branch in 1980. The line was further abandoned in 1982, when the Alton to Orange City segment was abandoned. The Rolfe to Eagle Grove segment was abandoned in 1988, and would later be converted to the Three Rivers Trail. In 1995, the C&NW would be purchased by the Union Pacific Railroad. Currently, Union Pacific Railroad operates the Rolfe to Marathon segment as part of the Laurens Subdivision, and the D&I operates the Beresford to Hawarden segment. The Rolfe to Eagle grove segment is part of a trail, and the remainder has been abandoned.

Located along 10th Street in Hawarden, this large truss bridge is the southern crossing of the Big Sioux River in Hawarden. The first bridge here was likely a wooden truss bridge. In 1904, three truss riveted quadrangular lattice through truss spans with A-frame portals, one 144-foot 6-inch and two 143-foot 6-inch would be installed on new stone substructures. A trestle approach would be constructed on the west end. In 1913, the trestle approach was replaced by thirteen 50-foot deck plate girder spans, set onto stone substructures. Since the 1913 additions, the bridge has largely remained unchanged. The quadrangular lattice design was the favorite truss design of the C&NW. While a few other railroads, such as Union Pacific, Rock Island and Erie all used the design at various times, no railroad relied on the design as much as the C&NW. Between 1878 and 1930, most trusses constructed by the C&NW were of the quadrangular lattice design. This span is typical of later generations of the design, as evidenced by the heavy members and A-frame portal. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.

Builder and build dates	Chicago & North Western Valuation Notes at the Chicago & North Western Historical Society Archives
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele

Hawarden Railroad Bridge (South)

Hawarden, Sioux County, Iowa

To

Alcester, Union County, South Dakota