1898+1955 US-67 Bridges over Illinois River and 1943 Flood at Beardstown, IL

1898: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

1955: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; John A Weeks III; Satellite)

1898 Toll Bridge

BridgeHunter_1898

Aaron Briar posted

BridgeHunter_1898

Lisa Ruble posted

Beardstown Bridge and Illinois River 

May 1943

Cass County

Norman Schafer shared

Sandy Lawber Ragan commented on Lisa's post
May 1943

Lisa Ruble answered Rory's question
The old bridge was where the Beardstown River Look is now. The bridge was built for wagons and was never meant to be used for vehicles. Looked scary!

Because of the flood wall, they are now prepared for the river to get a lot higher.

Street View, Aug 2023

1955 Bridge

John Weeks
"Beardstown was one of the earlier cities to be settled in Illinois. It was bigger than Chicago for several decades. The city was nicknamed Porkopolis due to the large pig yards and slaughterhouse operations. That trade shifted to Chicago when the railroad arrived in 1859. Beardstown was also a major hub of riverboat traffic, but that also diminished when passenger service was offered by the railroads."

John Weeks
"The Beardstown Bridge is one massive bridge, something that would only be expected on the lower Mississippi or other similarly large river. The main bridge is a through truss span about 1,365 feet long, with a 540 foot main span for navigation traffic. It rises nearly 70 feet above the water to the low steel line. To the north, there is a second through truss bridge about 710 feet long. A 1,000 foot long trestle crosses a backwater slough to the north, and a 500 foot steel deck truss bridge spans a creek on the south end. The overall river crossing is 2/3 of a mile."

HistoricBridges
"This bridge consists of a two span continuous truss and a three span continuous truss, making it a unique pair of truss styles."

Because of trees and the flood wall, this is the best street view that I could find.

Street View, Aug 2023

Sep 11, 1955 photo by Jacksonville Daily Journal via BridgeHunter_1955

Photo by Steve Conro via BridgeHunter_1955

More about the 1898 Bridge and 1943 Flood

Julie Chenoweth Terstiep commented on Lisa's post

Lisa commented on her post
The Beardstown Wagon Bridge was built in 1898.

Lisa commented on her post
1943

Lisa commented on her post

Lisa commented on her post
May 22nd 1943

Lisa commented on her post
May 26th 1943

Lisa commented on her post

Lisa commented on her post
1936

1902 Blandin Dam on Mississippi River in Grand Rapids, MN

(John A. Weeks III; Satellite)

I was not able to find the megawatt capacity of the powerhouse.

Street View, Sep 2024

This view is grainy, but it shows a crane is working on the spillway.

Street View, Aug 2025

Here is another view of  that work on the spillway. The background is a small fraction of the Blandin Paper Mill that built this dam.

Street View, Aug 2025

JohnWeeks
"The mill was a success because they continually lead the industry in the quality of their coated paper products, the type of paper used by magazines such as Time and Newsweek. The dam construction began in May of 1901 on the Grand Rapids of the Mississippi River, at the base of a stretch of water falls that dropped 30 feet in just over 3 miles. The mill started operation in 1902....In 2001, the mill set a world record by running a coating machine for 24 hours straight at an average speed of 5,656 feet of paper per minute, which is over 64 miles of paper per hour."
[Most coated paper mills that I have studied have gone out of business because so many magazines and catalogs have quit publishing.]

Katherine Woznek, Aug 2018

Mississippi Lock and Dam #21 near Quincy, IL

(John A Weeks III; Satellite)

USACE

USACE, Rock Island District posted

It's another birthday today with Lock and Dam 21 in Quincy, Illinois, turning 88 years young! Construction began on the lock structure on December 11, 1933, with the entire system placed in operation on this date [July 23] in 1938.

Interesting fact: Due to to a lack of funding at the time, the lock was completed one year before construction of the dam began.

JohnWick

USACE, Rock Island District posted

It's #FlashbackFriday and today we head to Lock and Dam 21 in Quincy, Illinois! This photo takes us back to 1967 as the towboat J.W. Hershey is heading southbound on the Mississippi River. 

Lock and Dam 21 is one of twelve locks within the Rock Island District on the Mississippi River and is the second most southern lock on the river within the District.

USACE, Rock Island District posted

A satellite caught a 15-barge tow being reassembled so that it can continue its trip upstream.

Satellite

1900 Winnibigoshish Dam on Mississippi River near Deer River, MN

(HAER; Satellite)

Street View, Aug 2016

USACE, St. Paul District posted

We #TBT to April 22, 1882, when the first pilings were driven in for #WinnibigoshishDam, located near #DeerRiver, #Minnesota.  

The original dam, made in part from nearly 2 million feet of white and Norway pine, was replaced in 1899 by the concrete structure that still sits in Lake Winnibigoshish today. 

 The name Winnibigoshish is #Chippewa, meaning rough water.

John Weeks

"The original dam at this location was a wooden dam started in 1881 and finished in 1884. It was replaced with a concrete dam in 1899-1900. A 12-foot log sluice and a 5-foot fish ladder was added in 1912. These additions are no longer in use. The bridge deck was added in 1909, and rebuilt in 1990.

"This was the first major reservoir built on the Mississippi River. The US Army Corps of Engineers report that the dam and reservoir were built to be a resource that would benefit the entire nation. Water released from northern reservoirs would help make the shipping season more predictable and safer. Today, the dam is used to keep the lake at a constant level of 1,297 feet above sea level. The shipping lanes are now managed by downstream locks and dams, leaving the lake available for recreational purposes.

"The lake is 67,000 acres, with about 140 miles of shoreline. Unlike lakes in the Brainerd Lakes area, Winnibigoshish remains mostly undeveloped. As the fifth largest lake in Minnesota, it is considered to be the crown jewel for fishing, and some of the best walleye fishing in the world. One key to the excellent fish habitat is that this lake is located on a major river, which keeps the lake flushed clean."

hmdb

The Corps of Engineers dates back to the Revolutionary War. On June 16, 1775, the day before the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Continental Congress appointed a Chief Engineer and two assistants for the Grand Army; a few years later, in 1779, Congress formally established the Corps of Engineers.

In 1860, Major General Warren, the first St. Paul District Engineer, performed field surveys in the Mississippi River Headwaters region. Ten years later, Congress authorized a study to determine whether a series of dams and reservoirs constructed in this area could assist in stabilizing water flow in the Mississippi River between St. Paul, Minnesota, and Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. As a result of these studies, the St. Paul District designed a system of dams capable of raising water levels and storing annual spring runoff in six existing lake systems, for release when low water downstream caused hazards to navigation. Congress funded the Headwaters projects, and the dams were constructed and placed in operation between 1884 and 1912.

Today, by a series of locks and dams, the Corps maintains a 9-foot deep navigation channel below Minneapolis, Minn. The Headwaters reservoirs no longer serve the purpose for which they were constructed, but do provide flood control and storage for additional water during periods of drought, and offer outstanding opportunities for water-based recreation activities. In addition, the lakes support major populations of fish, and provide habitat for a number of furbearing mammals. The forests, marshes, and wetlands also furnish a haven for many species of wildlife and waterfowl.

Winnibigoshish Dam, located on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, was the first constructed in the system of six dams. It is located on the Mississippi River 170 river miles from its source in Lake Itasca and 1,244 river miles from its mouth at the Gulf Coast. The original structure, built at the outlet of the lake and completed in 1884, was of timber-crib on timber piles. By 1903 the timber structure had deteriorated and was replaced by concrete. Today the dam is a 162-foot-long concrete structure on timber piles. It controls the runoff from a 1,442-square-mile drainage area that includes 28 lakes. The original construction was done by a crew of about 300 skilled and unskilled workers at an initial cost of $75,000.

Lake Winnibigoshish (67,000 acres in size, with 141 miles of shoreline) fills a basin formed by a huge ice block left behind by a receding glacier, and is surrounded by glacial deposits. Several archaeological sites along the shore provide evidence of prehistoric settlements. The Ojibwa named it "miserable-wretched-dirty-water" (Winnibigoshish) because of the effect of storm winds churning up the muddy bottom.

[hmdb]

hmdb
"This timber dam at Lake Winnibigoshish was the first in a system of six dams built in the Headwaters of the Mississippi River. ca. 1898, Minnesota Historical Society"

hmdb
"This 1880 log sluice in a northern Minnesota dam allowed a sufficient volume of water through to carry logs to the next logging dam. ca. 1880, Minnesota Historical Society"

hmdb
"Lake Winnibigoshish Dam and Reservoir. ca. 1975"

hmdb
"In 1885 laborers at Lake Winnibigoshish were paid $30.00 per month. ca. March 1884"

Significance: The Lake Winnibigoshish Reservoir Dam is one of six Mississippi River Headwaters Reservoir dam sites that are historically significant for their association with navigation, commerce, tourism, the Ojibway Indians, and U.S. Indian policy in Minnesota in the late 19th century. 

By providing a consistent flow of water throughout the navigation season, the Winnibigoshish Dam enhanced navigation and aided in the commercial development of the Upper Mississippi River. The dam site was also one of the earliest non-Indian settlements in the region and by the late 19th century was attracting some of the first tourists to the area.- The dam had a devastating impact on the Ojibway Indians who lived along the lake's shores. The project precipitated a century-long conflict between the tribe and the U.S. government over the damages resulting from the inundation of tribal lands and property.

[HAER_data]  

HAER MINN,31-DERIV.V,1--2
2. Downstream view of dam, looking northwest - Lake Winnibigoshish Reservoir Dam, Deer River, Itasca County, MN

Not everyone was as enthusiastic about the addition of the dam on the Mississippi. The Ojibwe band that lived in the area was greatly affected and in a detrimental way. The dam was constructed on Ojibwe land without consent from the tribe which wedged the first ax between the Natives and the Corps. When the dam was completed, the water level of Lake Winnibigoshish rose 14 feet, which subsequently caused the village, gardens, and traditional burial grounds to be flooded and destroyed. The Corps estimated that around 23,240 acres of Ojibwe land was flooded. The rise in water level also deepened the shallow fishing grounds that the band relied on for net fishing. This hurt the tribe’s food supply greatly as the netted fish supplied a significant portion of the food supply. Hay that grew along the lake shore was lost, along with many cranberry marshes, and some maple trees. In 1889, the Rice Commission determined that the band’s wild rice marshes were also severely damaged.

According to the Ojibwe, the high water had completely washed away the bones of their ancestors. This greatly upset the Ojibwe not only because part of their heritage was gone, but also because the government promised to move the cemetery and gardens to higher ground, but never did. Sho-kah-ge-shig, a spokesperson for the Winnibigoshish Ojibwe at the time, described the devastation:

“There are no persons who have been so badly damaged. Look around here. It is not fire that makes it look so barren around the lake. It is the effect of the water caused by the overflow.”

The federal government offered to pay the Ojibwe for damages as well as future damage that would be caused due to prospect of more dams being built. This came with a price tag of $15,466.90, but the Ojibwe rejected it. Negotiations kept going on until the Ojibwe saw no alternative but to relocate to the White Earth Reservation in western Minnesota. As part of the agreement reached during negotiations, the proceeds from land sales and improvements went to the reservation.

[GrandRapidsMN]

Headwaters History Booklet via USACE
"Lake Winnibigoshish Dam during construction, 1899"

1975,2002 I-474 Shade-Lohman Bridge over Illinois River south of Peoria, IL

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter, no Historic Bridges; John A. Weeks III; Satellite) 

The bridge is at Bartonville, IL but I used "Peoria" in the title so that it would be included in a search for Peoria bridges across the Illinois River.

JohnWeeks
"Prior to the upgrade of I-74 through downtown Peoria in 2004 to 2007, trucks were requested to stay off of I-74 and use the I-474 bypass instead. The I-474 bridge was rehabilitated in a project that completed in 2002. The floor deck systems on both bridges experienced cracking problems and had to be replaced. In addition, many of the rivets used on the bridge had to be replaced."
The westbound bridge was 4' (1.2m) longer than the 3,421' (1043m) eastbound bridge. Both had a main span of an estimated 543' (166m). The navigation channel is 500' (152m) wide with a clearance of 65' (20m).
The namesakes were politicians.

Street View, Aug 2024

Daniel Wilson posted

IDOT via BridgeHunter

Jack Tanner Tower posted via Dennis DeBruler

1884,1890-1965+1965,2012 Washington Avenue Bridges over Mississippi River in Minneapolis, MN

1965,2012: (Archived Bridge Hunter; John A. Weeks III; Satellite)

"The first bridge at this location was built in 1884. The 1884 structure was reconstructed in 1890 to accommodate streetcars. Streetcar service ended in 1952, and the bridge was determined to be obsolete shortly after that time and was dismantled in 1965." [JohnWeeks]

The bridge was strengthened so that light rail could be added in 2012.
 

Robert Swann commented on a post
Washington Avenue Bridge, about 1885.

Photo via umn
1940

JohnWeeks
This photo "is from a historic display located on the University of Minnesota campus. It shows the original Washington Avenue Bridge circa 1905. This iron truss bridge was in place from 1884 to 1965."
[Note the number of people that used to live on the Bohemian Flats flood plain.]

Photo via umn
Campus Views. View from SW showing Washington Ave Bridge under construction, 1965

.

1965 Bridge

Street View, Sep 2013

The upper deck is dedicated to pedestrian traffic because the University of Minnesota built an expansion of the campus on the west bank of the Mississippi River. Because the winters get cold in Minnesota, the students have the option of an enclosed walkway. Unfortunately, according to the Google search results, this is a popular suicide bridge.

Street View, Sep 2014

Street View, Oct 2023

The traffic capacity was reduced by half to add the light rail.

Street View, Oct 2008

"So, when is a bridge a girder--and a steel stringer--and a deck truss--all in one? This bridge started out in 1965 as a plain deck girder bridge and remained as such until 2010, when a massive project began to upgrade the bridge to carry light-rail traffic. The plan was to add stringers to increase the load-carrying capability, but the original stucture's rigid cross-members didn't allow it. The design engineers came up with a very creative and innovative way to address this--instead of solid stringers, trusses were designed and installed, one member at a time, to fit around the existing sway bracing without having to remove any of it! And so, as a result, the main spans still retain their full original girder system, with multiple 'stringer-trusses' to support the light rail vehicles." [BridgeHunter]

This view caught the construction after the trusses had been added to the east lanes, but before they were added to the west lanes. So we get a good before-and-after view of the stringers. And since the Warren trusses had not been painted, we can easily see the trusses.

Street View, Jun 2011

MNDOT
"Design and construction of a double-deck, welded, haunched, continuous plate-girder bridge using A441 high-strength steel."
"This bridge was one of the first in the nation to use A441 high-strength, low-alloy steel in its superstructure, which allowed for the structural connections to be welded rather than riveted."

History’s Mirror posted
The Washington Avenue Bridge under construction in 1965 marked a significant shift in Minneapolis infrastructure, designed to link the East and West Bank campuses of the University of Minnesota across the Mississippi River. As steel beams and concrete piers rose over the water, the bridge's distinctive double-deck structure began to take shape—upper deck for pedestrians and bicycles, lower deck for vehicles and transit. Cranes hovered over the river while workers in hard hats maneuvered rebar and poured concrete, braving Midwest weather to stay on schedule. Barges floated nearby carrying supplies, and scaffolding clung to the bridge’s skeletal form. From the riverbanks, curious onlookers watched as the city expanded its reach. More than a functional crossing, the bridge was an architectural response to the university’s growing student body and the city’s evolving transportation needs. When completed, it would become a defining feature of Minneapolis, offering views of the skyline and a vital connection between academic and civic life.