Industrial History: 1856+1866+1872 Rock Island Bridges over Mississippi in Rock Island, IL

1856: (Bridge Hunter; Satellite, nothing is left)

1866: (Bridge Hunter; Satellite, according to Bridge Hunter, this was a little upstream of the first)

I knew there were several bridges built by the Rock Island over the Mississippi before the current Government Bridge was built, including the first railroad bridge to cross the Mississippi. One soon learns that Abraham Lincoln defended the Rock Island when a steamboat allided with the first bridge two weeks after its construction.

A sneak peek at image #4 by Rock Island Arsenal Museum's post below for the 1856 bridge to improve the signature image for these notes.

Chuck Edmonson posted three images with the comment:

The true causes behind the crash and destruction will never be known.

Construction on the first railroad bridge to span the Mississippi had begun three years earlier in 1853 near Rock Island. The Rock Island Railroad saw the obvious advantages of having a connection between Illinois and Iowa that wouldn't resort to having their rail cars ferried across the river as well as the impact on the future of a transcontinental railroad. Obviously ferry operators saw the negative impact this would have on their revenue and operations and were up in arms about it.

With great fanfare after three years of construction on April 22, 1856 the first train consisting of three locomotives and eight cars crossed the bridge as citizens from both states looked on, now not only was there north-south riverboat traffic but east-west rail traffic as well.

Less than two weeks later on the evening of May 6, 1856 the relatively new steamer the Effie Afton appeared to lose power as she navigated through the center open draw and hit the span near the center. Extensive damage occurred but then a on-board stove tipped over and started a fire on the Effie Afton that soon spread to the bridge. The ship burned down to cinders in only about five minutes and destroyed the center span of the bridge as well. The Effie Afton was a relatively new boat that was normally on the Ohio River, what was she doing upriver on the Mississippi? What caused the ship to burn so quickly and completely? Was it loaded down with flammable materials for a reason?

As lawsuits were filed by both the railroad for the damage and the ship owners for the supposed impediment to navigation, suspicions began to fly. Had steamship operators opted to send her on a suicide mission in an attempt to destroy the bridge and keep their revenue source secure?

The trial that followed would see Abraham Lincoln as the lawyer for the Rock Island Railroad and the bridge company facing a panel of experts hired by steamboat operators. The trial would result in a hung jury, basically a win for Lincoln and the railroad.

In a period of only four months the destroyed section had been rebuilt and reopened, the east-west link was again connected.

1
Random Quad Cities posted

This is from www.structuremag.org.

The celebration of the first railroad track to cross the Mississippi was short-lived as on May 6, 1856, only two weeks after its opening, the steamboat the Effie Afton, on a voyage from Cincinnati to St. Paul, ran into a pier and burned, setting one of the fixed spans on fire.

Western portion of the bridge with Rock Island on the right.

Random Quad Cities shared

David Sebben posted five pictures with the comment:

Several postings here have shown the first railroad bridge over the Mississippi River between Rock Island, IL and Davenport, IA, but how about the rail that once carried trains from that bridge? Sticking out of the original embankment is a rail and several ties from that historically significant bridge of the Rock Island Railroad. Included are the subsequent bridges at or near that location in the Quad-Cities.

2: [1856 to 1866, Bridge Hunter, see below about Abraham Lincoln's, built a little upstream of the current bridge]

3: [1866-1872, Bridge Hunter, tornado damage in 1868, used the same piers that were built for the first bridge]

4: [I can't find info on this one. It must be 1872-1896 but it does not look strong enough
Reposted by Chuck Edmonson: "Under construction around 1872."]

5: [current bridge, built 1896 and rehabilitated in 1983 and 1997]

1856

Rock Island Arsenal Museum posted seven images with the comment:

November is Historic Bridge Awareness Month and Rock Island Arsenal has been home to many historic bridges.
The Bridge of 1856 was the first railroad bridge to cross the Mississippi River. At the time of its building the bridge featured the longest swing span in the world.
On May 6, 1856, two weeks after the bridge opened, the steamboat Effie Afton crashed into the bridge collapsing one span and destroying the boat. In a series of court cases, steamboat interests claimed that the bridge was an impediment to navigation. Abraham Lincoln, then a Springfield, Illinois lawyer, defended the railroad in one of the cases. The Supreme Court eventually decided a subsequent suit in December 1862, and the bridge remained operational.
The bridge was expanded in 1866 to support more weight.

Davenport Iowa History posted

The First Railroad Bridge to Span the Mississippi River - circa 1856

A railroad bridge crossing the Mississippi River at Rock Island began to be discussed in 1852.

The corner stone of that first bridge was laid on September 1, 1854.  The bridge would connect the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad to the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad.  Speeches were made by Joseph Knox, Esq., of Rock Island and Hon. James Grant, of Davenport.  John Warner was the contractor for the bridge.

During the winter of 1855-1856, the very heavy coating of ice upon the river greatly facilitated the erection of the spans.  

The draw of the bridge was first swung on April 9th, 1856, at 6 P.M.  On April 21st, the new locomotive “Des Moines” crossed from the island to Davenport shortly after 7 P.M., which was the first passage, and a train of freight cars immediately followed.   The following morning, the regular 8 A.M. passenger and freight trains from Chicago crossed, signaling the beginning of a new era in westward expansion.

On the 6th of May, 1856, the first span east of the draw was destroyed by fire communicated by the steamboat Effie Afton, which collided with and burned at one of the piers.  In the litigation, which followed, and which was instituted by the owners of the boat, Abraham Lincoln appeared among the counsel for the railroad company and won the suit.

Michael Vande Voort: When the US Army Corp of Engineers was working on the lock and dam there, workers found the bell from the Effie Afton. They broke it into pieces, workers taking a piece home as a souvenir. This was discovered and the Corp requested they bring the bell back. All but one or two people brought their piece back. It was patched back together, with a couple noticeable gaps where the missing pieces would go. The bell is on display in the Rock Island Arsenal Museum in building 60(accessible to the public).

Jeff Bloom commented on Davenport Iowa History's post
Here is a slight twist on the Bell from Effie Afton. The Rock Island Metal Foundry was founded by my and Kristine Arnould's grandfather, and his brother. It went through several ownership changes before being owned by the Bryan Grafton identified as owner in this article. (Bryon Grafton went on to own the Tri City Blackhawks, an early NBA franchise!)

The steamboat and ferryboat interests fought a bridge being built, but the Rock Island ran its first train over it to Davenport on April 22, 1856. However, two weeks later the steamboat Effie Afton "cleared the drawspan on an upstream journey, then suddenly veered out of control and drifted back against the span where it burst into flames. The draw portion of the bridge was destroyed. This started a historic court action. Abraham Lincoln defended the railroad's right to bridge the river. The first jury disagreed and was discharged. A second trial resulted in a court order to remove the bridge. This, however, was carried to the Supreme Court and, in an opinion handed down in 1862, the court found for the railroad establishing a railroad's right to bridge a navigable stream." [Tortoise Tattler April 22, 1856]

This account disagrees with all other accounts that I have read --- Abraham Lincoln, who was on retainer by the Rock Island, defended the railroad from the steamboat owners's suit claiming the bridge was a navigation hazard. That trail ended with a hung jury. Then the Rock Island counter sued and won. [Andy Wellman posting] The dispute did go to the Supreme Court, but Abraham was not involved with their general ruling that railroads have a right to bridge a navigable stream.

Quad-City Times: A drawing of the first Mississippi River rail crossing.

1860 Photo courtesy of the Putnam Museum from QCtimes
[This the first bridge across the Mississippi built by the Rock Island 20 years before the first bridge was built in St. Louis. When a steamboat crashed into the bridge and burned, the railroad was sued. Abraham Lincoln was the lawyer for the railroad, and he won the right for railroads to cross navigable rivers. "This outcome caused a shift in the 'balance of power' in the Midwest. Before the bridge, river transportation was king, and St. Louis was the center of commerce. But after the win, railroads took over as king, with Chicago ascending as the major Midwest city, and river navigation and St. Louis decreased in importance."]

Andy Wellman shared
Jim A. Fuhrmann One account some time ago I read revealed that Lincoln defended the Rock Island in a case in which the currents around the bridge were an issue and he went to the location in question and found a twelve year old boy who lived near there and frequently visited the river. He brought up a conversation with the boy and found out in twenty minutes every thing the boy knew about the flow of the waters in the river and found that it was as the boy said. The story concludes that Lincoln was able to use evidence he acquired from the boy to catch the boat company in a lie and win the case.

I remember reading that the captain of the Effie Afton, the fastest sidewheel steamboat on the Mississippi River, claimed the currents caused by the piers in the river shoved his boat into the bridge. Both the boat and the bridge were totally destroyed by fire. (So it was made with wood instead of iron?) "Some people suspected that the collision was an intentional attempt to topple the bridge." [NIU]

Andy Wellman shared Davenport Iowa History's photo.

First Bridge to Span the Mississippi River
This drawing shows the first railroad bridge to span the Mississippi River. Davenport city founder Antoine LeClaire turned the first shovel in January of 1854 and donated the land and his home built years earlier as the first depot. The bridge crossed to Davenport from Rock Island (arsenal) and was completed in 1856.

John Vize posted
The "First Bridge" across the Mississippi at Davenport, Iowa/Rock Island. Abraham Lincoln won Supreme Coaut Case involving this Bridge.

WTTW Video

David Sebben posted
A lithograph of Rock Island, Illinois in 1869.

Biran Bell posted

1866

Rock Island Arsenal Museum posted six images with the comment:

November is Historic Bridge Awareness Month and Rock Island Arsenal has been home to many historic bridges.
The 1872 Government Bridge was located on the western end of the Island, at the current location of the 1896 Government Bridge. The double-decker bridge carried railway traffic on its upper deck and pedestrian traffic on its lower deck. It became known as the Government Bridge because of combined efforts of the railroad and the Federal Government on the project. It was also referred to as the "Iron Bridge" because it was constructed of iron.

Internet Archive Book Images Flickr via BridgeHunter-1866
Image from page 35 of "Official book of the Fort Armstrong centennial celebration, June 18th-24th, 1916" (1916)

Image of 1868 Tornado Aftermath via BridgeHunter-1866, © Iowa Department of Transportation

1872

Chuck Edmonson posted
The third bridge of the Rock Island Arsenal constructed in 1872. Differing from the two previous spans, it was 'double-decked' with rail traffic above and pedestrian and wagon traffic below. Looking towards Illinois, it was very ornate up top, complete with eagle.
Dave Gudewicz Maybe an optical illusion, but it looks like there's a bend to the right in the tracks/bridge.Chuck Edmonson There was a slight curve heading onto the bridge through an area known as Traders Vista. This bridge lasted but two decades, replaced by the current span. The draw span adjoined the Illinois side.

Davenport Iowa History posted
Aerial View of Davenport - 1888
[The comments have several events that happened in 1888. I have selected the ones pertaining to industry.]
On July 1, 1888, the City Railway announced that they were seeking a motor to displace the mules. Davenport citizens, however, doubted that any electric motor could pull street cars up Brady Street hill. On July 26th, work began on the Brady Street cars to equip them with two 15-horsepower motors. On August 11th, a test of the electric street cars was performed on Brady Street hill. They were loaded with 40 or 50 people, and the cars successfully climbed the grade followed by great rejoicing!
General Poe and Captain W. L. Marshall were in Davenport on November 21, 1888. They were here to locate the route of the Hennepin Canal.
On December 24, 1888, a street car was driven from Davenport over the Government Bridge. It was the first one to ever cross the Mississippi River south of St. Paul, Minnesota, and the affair was
proclaimed a most memorable and significant historical event in street railway.

Retro Quad Cities posted
J.P. Doremus' Floating Photo Gallery is docked along the Davenport levee in the 1890's. The 1872 Government Bridge is in the background.
Tom Sharp: Doremus was a commercial photographer from New Jersey. In 1874, he got the idea of creating a giant photo gallery, which he would put on a boat and take down the Mississippi, while photographing various landings, river towns, and life on the river. He headed to St. Paul, contracted to have three boats built, and spent the next 20 months taking it down the river, stopping at different places, and to the Gulf of Mexico. The name of the boat was "Success," and the book he published about his travels was called: "Floating Down the Mississippi.
"Photo taken from ICRR bridge looking West

Retro Quad Cities posted
This 1875 photo was taken from the Rock Island Arsenal, looking across the bridge toward Davenport. Gotta love the ornate lamp posts.

Retro Quad Cities posted
A rare photo of the Moline to Arsenal Island bridge from 1875.

Retro Quad Cities posted
The third Government Bridge, seen in 1875, on the downriver side of the bridge, from the Fort Armstrong site.
Tom Sharp: It was one of the first all-steel bridges to be built across the river. Unfortunately, it wasn't strong enough to withstand the use it was getting, and it only had one set of tracks. The 1896 (current) version is much more sturdy, had two sets of tracks, and --- over 120 years later --- is estimated to have used only about one-third of its lifespan. It's one of the few bridges in existence that is still maintained by the Army.
Tim Behan: Tom Sharp Doesn't this make you wonder why the I-74 and I-80 bridges need to be replaced after such a relatively short lifespan ?
Tim Behan: Tom Sharp When parts need to be replaced on the swing span, they are made by RIA. Can't exactly find them at Home Depot.
Jerry Andrews: Tim Behan I worked at the RI Arsenal foundry back in the 1980's and we made parts for the bridge. The arsenal has a very nice foundry!
Miles W. Rich: That's the first Government Bridge. The first two bridges were not Federally owned or built, but were the property of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific RR. The current bridge was

Multiple Bridges

Brian Bell posted seven photos with the comment: "3/4 spans crossing 1500 ft downstream from original. Several shots of ice damage of 3 being converted to 4 or existing."

Brian Bell posted five photos with the comment: "First two spans of first train bridge across Mississippi, between Rock island into Iowa. Map shows it location versus existing span. First and second span 1856 to 1872."
Scott Deaton This bridge was hit by a steamboat and partially burned. More than likely not an "accident". Abraham Lincoln was the Rock Island Railroad's corporare lawyer at that time.
Brian Bell First hit by boat/ 2nd destroyed by tornado,3 damaged by ice flow.

Brian Bell posted fourteen photos with the comment: "Any interest in shots of first train bridge crossing Mississippi circa 1856? First three were damaged, have some of rebuilds shots. 1,2,3,4 first two spans, 5 3rd span at current location. Davenport Iowa is across river."
[Many of these photos are repeats of the ones he already posted, which I made "small." #8 should also be small but Google's Blogspot won't work correctly on that one.]