First bridge across the Mississippi river from Rock Island, Illinois, to Davenport, Iowa 1856.
Very interesting. Thanks.
The end of the article is incorrect. Yes, the Rock Island Railroad lost the use of the top level of the Government Bridge in 1980. However, the trackage is still used as part of the Iowa-Interstate Railroad line from Omaha to Chicago.
There has been in place for some time, a lease of the trackage by the owner (US Govt/Rock Island Arsenal) to the Iowa Interstate Railroad.
This is by far the most in depth article I’ve ever seen on the history of the legal wranglings over the bridges.
ping
There is a good animation of a barge going downstream through the locks, how part of the bridge swings, how the gates open and close:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_Bridge
Taken at dusk November 19, 2005. There is a barge worker in an orange life vest standing on the left front corner of the barge.
Exactly the kind of thing I wish I’d learned in school. Thanks for posting this.
“The Great Rock Island Route” was first published in 1882 by J.A. Roff. A rewritten version by William Kindt, under the title “Wabash Cannonball”, appeared in 1904.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PCLaQNNhYw
Bump for later
This stuff is interesting. And we thought “politics” started with Reagan.