UP 300th Street Bridge

Worthington, Nobles County, Minnesota

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Name UP 300th Street Bridge
Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #684 1/2
Built By Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway
Currently Owned By Union Pacific Railroad
Superstructure Contractor Unknown
Length 59 Feet Total, 35 Foot Main Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 13 Feet 6 Inches
Superstructure Design Through Plate Girder and Timber Pile Trestle
Substructure Design Timber Pile
Date Built 1952
Date Replaced Fall 2022
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge has been Replaced)
Current Status Replaced by a new bridge
Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge Number 684 1/2
Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Number 183.23
Significance Minimal Significance
Documentation Date 1/1/2016
In 1865, the Minnesota Valley Railway Company began construction on a new railroad line between Mendota, Minnesota and St. James, Minnesota. The first 22 miles would be completed between Mendota and Merriam Junction in 1865, followed by 17 more miles to Belle Plaine in 1866, 16 additional miles to Le Sueur in 1867, 12 additional miles to Kasota in 1868, and 22 additional miles to Lake Crystal, Minnesota in 1869. Also in 1869, the Minnesota Valley would complete 5 additional miles from Mendota to St. Paul. In 1870, the Minnesota Valley would be purchased by the St. Paul and Sioux City Railroad (StP&SC). 22 additional miles to St. James would be completed in 1870. The StP&SC completed 58 more miles from St. James to Worthington, Minnesota in 1871; and 64 additional miles to Le Mars, Iowa were completed in 1872. At Le Mars, the route connected to an existing railroad, over which the StP&SC used trackage rights to reach Sioux City.
In 1881, the StP&SC would be sold to the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway (CStPM&O), also known as the Omaha Road. The Omaha Road would come under control of the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) the next year. This route became the main line of the Western District of the Omaha Road. The Omaha Road would formally be merged into the C&NW in 1959. The C&NW would be purchased by the Union Pacific in 1995, which still operates the St. James to Le Mars segment as the Worthington Subdivision. The line continues to carry steady traffic.

Located near the small town of Org, this through plate girder bridge once carried the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway over 300th Street west of Minnesota Highway 60. Little is known about the history of this bridge. Reportedly built in 1952, the bridge consisted of a single 35-foot through plate girder span, approached by a single timber trestle span on either end. The entire bridge was set onto timber pile substructures. An unknown contractor fabricated the main span, and it is unknown if this span was reused from another location. This type of bridge was commonly used to cross small streams and roads, as it was cheap and easy to construct. The bridge was replaced in 2022 with a new bridge of similar design. At the time of replacement, the bridge was in fair to poor condition, with deterioration seen throughout the timber components of the bridge. It is unknown if the main span was reused at another location, as it was in fair to good condition. The author has ranked the bridge as being minimally significant, due to the common design and newer age.

Citations

Build date National Bridge Inventory (NBI)
Railroad History Citation ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele