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First Bridge

Rock Island County, Illinois, and Scott County, Iowa
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Description 

First railroad bridge across the Mississippi River. Was considered a navigational hazard. Two weeks after the bridge opened, the steamboat Effie Afton rammed part of the bridge, catching it on fire. Bridge only lasted a decade before is was needing to be reinforced due to heavier railroad loads.

Facts 

Overview
Lost howe through truss bridge over Mississippi River
Location
Rock Island, Rock Island County, Illinois, and Scott County, Iowa
Status
Lost
History
Built 1856, Reinforced 1866, Replaced upstream in1872,
Builders
- John Warner
- Railroad Bridge Co.
- Stone & Boomer
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 286.0 ft.
Total length: 1,581.0 ft.
Also called
First Railroad Bridge Across The Mississippi River
Approximate latitude, longitude
+41.52060, -90.55897   (decimal degrees)
41°31'14" N, 90°33'32" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
15/703678/4599427 (zone/easting/northing)
USGS topographic map
Davenport East
Inventory number
BH 49189 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

19th Century (3,817)
Built 1856 (13)
Built during 1850s (205)
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad (335)
Davenport, Iowa (29)
Howe through truss (203)
Howe truss (249)
Illinois (2,498)
Iowa (3,492)
John Warner (1)
Lost (10,353)
Lost 1872 (1)
Lost during 1870s (10)
 Mississippi River (155)
Owned by railroad (4,036)
Railroad (4,063)
Railroad Bridge Co. (1)
Rock Island County, Illinois (40)
Rock Island, Illinois (19)
Scott County, Iowa (53)
Span length 250-500 feet (863)
State line crossing (513)
Stone & Boomer (1)
Through truss (9,201)
Total length 1000-2500 feet (1,210)
Truss (23,561)

Update Log 

  • February 20, 2013: Photo imported by Luke Harden
  • May 29, 2012: Photo imported by Luke Harden
  • January 18, 2012: Updated by Luke Harden: Added link to an image.
  • September 9, 2011: Updated by Luke Harden: edited overview
  • July 26, 2011: Updated by Luke Harden: added First Railroad Bridge Across The Mississippi River as an alternate name
  • July 25, 2011: Updated by Luke Harden: added builders and a photograph

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