Aqueduct: (
Archived Bridge Hunter;
Bridge Hunter;
Historic Bridges;
HAER;
Satellite)
The railroad bridge is in the foreground and the aqueduct is behind it.
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Illinois and Michigan Canal Photo Tour posted
The 464 foot [141m] long Fox River aqueduct at Ottawa circa 1900 and in 2006.
Brad Small: Interurban tracks along south side in 1900 photo. [A plan for interurban tracks, which I don't think happened.] |
"Originally built in 1838 to carry the I&M; Canal over the Fox River wooden trough of aqueduct replaced with steel trough 1922" [ArchivedBridgeHunter_aqueduct]
Because the tow path was obsolete in the 20th Century (mules had been replaced by engines), the towpath was replaced with an interurban bridge in 1903. Evidently, there was a plan to move the
Chicago, Ottawa & Peoria from the Main Street Bridge to this new bridge to remove street running in Ottawa. But every map I have seen indicates that the plan was never executed.
This is the upstream side of the aqueduct. The steel girders are the north side of the trough that held the water.
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| 20150809, 4092 |
The interurban bridge is now a trail bridge. It reused the piers that were built for the canal's towpath.
Out on that trail, I stuck my camera up against the chain-link fence to take this upstream photo. We see the wall of the aqueduct trough, the Rock Island Bridge and the
US-6 Bridge. It looks like they had to paint over some graffiti. Did the slits allow flood water to spill into the Fox River?
HistoricBridges does not think these slits are original: "Also, there are crudely cut holes in the steel girders. The exact purpose of these holes is unclear, but they diminish the historic integrity of the bridge and are ugly looking."
And I leaned over the side of the trail to get this photo of the trough.
Another view of today's trail.
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HAER ILL, 50-OTWA, 7--1
1. LOOKING NORTHEAST, SOUTH SIDE OF PLATE GIRDER BRIDGE WHICH CARRIED THE INTERURBAN LINE ACROSS THE FOX RIVER. NOTE THE STEEL-FRAME SUPPORTS FOR THE CATENARY. - Illinois Traction System, Fox River Bridge, Spanning Fox River, Ottawa, La Salle County, IL |
Significance: In 1903 the Illinois Traction System
constructed a bridge across the Fox
River sharing the piers of the I&M
Canal Fox River Aqueduct." [
HAERil0648_data]
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HAER ILL, 50-OTWA, 5--8
8. DETAIL OF UNDERSIDE OF RAIL AND CANAL, SOUTH SIDE OF WEST END - Illinois & Michigan Canal, Fox River Aqueduct, Ottawa, La Salle County, IL
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"Significance: Part of the original timber frame
aqueduct (built 1848) was incorporated
into the bridge built by the Illinois
Traction system in 1903; reconstruction
of the original Fox River aqueduct was
carried out in 1918 and 1919 as part of
the improvements to the Rockdale-to-Peru
section of the canal, the last operating
stretch of the I&M." [
HAERil0600_data]
This 1915 map shows the CO&P route was not changed to use the 1903 bridge. The interurban still curved south to use the
Main Street Bridge.
The empty piers on the south side carried a vehicle bridge. And the above topo map agrees that it was the Superior Street Bridge.
This is old enough to show the Superior Street Bridge.
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| ca 1920, Lewis University Collection via BridgeHunter_superior |
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ca 1920, Lewis University Collection via BridgeHunter_superior
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ca 1920, Lewis University Collection via BridgeHunter_superior
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ArchivedBridgeHunter_rock provides a date of 1899 whereas BridgeHunter_rock has a date of 1919 for the Rock Island Bridge. I'm going with 1919 for today's bridge because the piers make it look like a truss bridge was replaced by a girder bridge.
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| 2011 photo by Steve Conro via BridgeHunter_rock |
These two maps are more evidence that the plan to move the CO&P from Main Street to the canal right-of-way did not happen. [Luke's comment on ArchivedBridgeHunter]
This map labels ithe interurban the "Illinois Valley Electric RR."
This map labeled it "Electric RY."
I don't see any evidence of a grade for the CO&P to use the 1903 bridge.
I can see the trusses of the Superior Street Bridge
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| Digitally Zoomed |
Roger Kujawa
posted 13 photos of today's trail bridge with the comment: "Chicago, Ottawa and Peoria railroad bridge Ottawa, Illinois. The CO&P bridge over the Fox River is next to the Illinois and Michigan canal aqueduct over the Fox River. Not sure if those are the trolley wire supports or new steel."
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