website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Link to Railroads overview file
Railroad Bridges over the Rock
C M & St Paul Railway Bridge
c1860 WHS_006_320
1856
04 10 The railroad bridge over Rock River is
now in course of construction. Some ten
men are busily engaged on it all the time, and all the timber is now on the
ground. It is to be a substantial and
durable structure, and built in the form that will give it the greatest
strength and safety. WD
1861
07
18 The Logs Come Down —
Yesterday, being at the depot of the Chicago and North Western Railroad in
this city, we saw a train of cars loaded
with pine logs, destined for Janesville.
Learning that they were to be dumped into Rock River, from the railroad
bridge, about a mile and a half below the city [railroad bridge over river east
of former Pick N Save], some dozen persons jumped aboard the cars and rode down
to see the sport. There were
twenty-three platform cars, carrying each from six to eight logs. As soon as the cars stopped at the right
point on the bridge, the platform of the cars being some twenty or thirty feet
above the water, three red-shirted gentlemen began to tumble them off into the
river with pike and cart-hooks, and in about the time a farmer would unload his
wagon of wood or rails, the logs were all floating in the river. It was astonishing with what apparent ease
and facility the hardy and active lumbermen dashed the long train of logs into
the river. The time occupied in the
process scarcely exceeded twenty minutes.
It is well worth a trip down to witness the plunging of the logs into the
river, dashing the water in every direction.
The launching of a ship could not have excited more interest and
curiosity. It was stated that a million
and a half feet of these logs were being conveyed from Horicon, by cars to this
point, to be floated down the river to Janesville. They are the property of Mr. Norris of that place. WD
Cross Reference: “In 1855 the Horicon Argus reported that the rafting
business on our Rock River began. Norris & Co. were running a huge
lot of logs from Horicon Lake through the dam to Janesville.” http://www.examiner.com/history-in-milwaukee/life-on-the-marsh
1888
07 27 Board of Street
Commissioners:
Resolved,
That a bridge be built across Rock River connecting Milwaukee Street on the east side and
Spring Street on the west side of said Rock River, and that the Committee
on Streets and Bridges be and is hereby instructed to procure plans and
specifications for an iron bridge as well as for an arched stone bridge. WG
_________________________________________________________
1902
08 15 Next Sunday morning the railway bridge over Rock River
in this city will be moved 16 feet north of its present location to allow the
new stone bridge to be built. It is expected
to have the bridge in its new location by 1 o'clock. All freight trains on that morning will be
sent around by way of Horicon. Bridge
Engineer Greenwald, of Milwaukee, and Owen Hughes of this city, will have
charge of the work. It is quite an engineering
feat, and will no doubt be witnessed by hundreds of our people. WG
08 22 Last Sunday morning the C. M. & St.
Paul Railroad bridge over Rock River was removed from its foundation and placed
on temporary foundations of piles sixteen feet to the north to make room for
the new stone bridge being built. The
moving of the bridge occupied 81 minutes, but the adjustment of the approachments and the realigning of track occupied just
three hours.
Work
was begun at
Two previous wooden bridges
spanned Rock River at this place, and the new double track stone bridge now
being built will probably last for generations.
Its cost will be about $70,000.
The bridge removed is an iron one of
four spans each 90 feet long and 30 feet high, and weighs about 250 tons. Hydraulic jacks were used for raising the
bridge, and grooved rollers, over and under which were placed iron rails
leading to the temporary foundations.
A
steam engine placed north of the center of the bridge with tackle attached, and
on both ends about a dozen men with tackle, was the power used for removal.
Several
thousand people were present to witness the event. WG
09 20 NEW STONE ARCH BRIDGE
Chicago Milwaukee &
St Paul Ry proposes to build at Watertown across Rock River an arch of stone
backed with concrete work to be done by the Ry. Co. A.G. Bennett of Watertown Engr in
charge. [source]
02 12
1903
Watertown Daily Times
The
railroad bridge being put in by the
Milwaukee Road here is nearing completion.
In a few days more the stone work will be completed and the work of
filling in between the stone arches with concrete will be done. When finished, the bridge will be one of the
finest structures of its kind on the Milwaukee Road system. It is built of four arches of stone resting
upon concrete foundations, double-track in width and capable of sustaining any
weight. The work of constructing the
bridge has been going on since last summer.
06 06 1903
Watertown Daily Times
Tuesday
afternoon the new double track arch bridge of the C. M. & St. Paul Railroad
over the Rock River in this city was open for passage of trains, the
Madison-Milwaukee passenger in charge of Conductor Charles White being the
first train to pass over it.
The
bridge cost about $70,000, and it is one of the very finest along the system.
The old iron bridge is being taken down and will be used on some other portion
of the railway.
c.1910
1938
Ad
09 12 1956
Watertown Daily Times
The
Milwaukee Road has announced that it currently is putting into service 100
newly built all-steel electrically equipped “bay window” type cabooses. A caboose as most people know is the stubby
little car at the end of a freight train.
It is the headquarters of the train crew. There the conductor makes out his “wheel
report” and attends to other “office duties.”
Several of the new cars will operate through Watertown. Originally cabooses were built with a tiny
cupola atop. The cupola accommodated two
trainmen, one on either side, who from their lofty perch observed if the long
string of various types of freight cars ahead were “riding” properly.
06 06 1903
Watertown Daily Times
The
drastic cut in track mileage being proposed by the Milwaukee Road in an effort
to allow the company to operate in the black may include the Watertown to
Madison line, James Scribbins, spokesman for the
railroad. Documents were filed in U.S.
District Court in Chicago as part of a revised reorganization plan for the
financially strapped line. Scribbins said, “We have not made a final determination if
the line from Watertown to Madison is to be included in our abandonment plans,
but it is likely. Business on that track
is light and in all probability the line will be up for abandonment.” The track starts at the Milwaukee Road depot in
Watertown when it branches off from the main line and travels through Hubbleton, Waterloo, Sun Prairie and Madison. Also being considered for abandonment is the
section of that branch line from Madison to Poynette. Scribbins said the
distance from Watertown to Madison and to Poynette is 59 miles.
2010
Vacant Pick ‘n Save store
proposed as site for new high-speed train depot, adjacent to historic arch
railroad bridge.
Cross-References:
History of Watertown,
Wisconsin