Grain Elevators on Goose Island in Chicago, IL

(Satellite, they were along the North Branch Canal at the north end of the island)

(Update: whoops. I have another post on this topic.)

This is the kind of historical photo that keeps on giving. For example, it has five of Chicago's intercity train stations (Union Station, Northwestern Station, Grand Central, LaSalle St Station and Dearborn Station. The only intercity station not in this photo was Illinois Central.) I've seen the Rock Island Grain Elevator near the lower-left corner. But this is the first time I've seen a grain elevator on Goose Island.

Dennis DeBruler

I digitally zoom in on the upper-left corner of the aerial photo. One can see at least one grain elevator.

At Facebook posted resolution

1901 Sanborn Index
Sanborn fire insurance map provided courtesy of the Map Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

1901 Sanborn 2, Goose Island
Sanborn fire insurance map provided courtesy of the Map Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The Atlantic Elevator was the northernmost and it was next to Cherry Street. 

1901 Sanborn 1,  Atlantic
Sanborn fire insurance map provided courtesy of the Map Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Digitally Zoomed

The Armour Elevators were the southernmost. I think these have been torn down before the 1930s photo was taken.

1901 Sanborn 3,  Armour
Sanborn fire insurance map provided courtesy of the Map Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Digitally Zoomed

Digitally Zoomed

The Minnesota Elevators were between the Atlantic and Armour Elevators. I think these are the two big buildings we see along the west side of the canal.

1901 Sanborn 4, Minnesota
Sanborn fire insurance map provided courtesy of the Map Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Digitally Zoomed

Digitally Zoomed

1922,1950 DCAX/(DTI+GTW) SUC Bridge over Short Cut Canal 21 (Rouge River) in Detroit, MI

(Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

DCAX = Delray Connecting Railroad

DTI = Detroit, Toledo & Ironton RR

GTW = Grand Trunk Western RR

The 2005 SPV Map indicates the reporting mark for DCAX is "DC" and that the railroad is a subsidiary of US Steel. Knorek uses DCRR for the Delray Connecting Railroad, but I don't think that is official. The 2005 SPV Map lists DCRR as DuBois County Railroad.

This is a very rare example of the Strauss underneath counterweight design.

Historic Bridges has not yet documented this bridge because it is in an industrial area and Nathan can't get photos of it. But he has documented it in a presentation, pages 12-17.

Cleveland State University Library Photograph Collection (The Detroit Toledo & Ironton Railroad Book) via BridgeHunter

Google Maps labels both sides of Zug Island as River Rouge. (The USGS map makes the same mistake.) This topo map confirms that the south side was dug out to shorten the distance and curves that an iron ore freighter would have to negotiate to get to Ford's plant. The canal is aptly named since it provides a shortcut for the freighters. And it explains the name of this bridge. The widening and straightening of the Rouge River in 1922 was a joint project between Ford and the federal government. Unlike Zug Island, the steel plant built by Ford is still receiving iron ore boats. If you look at the photos posted by Andrew Dean Detroit, several other industries such as cement plants also receive loads from freighters on this river.

The DT&I mainline used to cross over this bridge onto Zug Island and then curve northwestish to cross the original course of the Rouge River to get to get to Delray to connect with other railroads. [MichiganRailroads-yard via MichiganRailroads-search]

1940 Detroit Quad @ 1:24,000

In some of the photos, this bridge looks like a truss bridge that can magically go up. But these closer photos show the heavy duty members on the bridge-house end that can hold the counterweight. So I presume it is a trunnion bridge. I still have not figured out where the rack is. Knorek has a copyrighted photo that reinforces that this is a trunnion bridge. But the view does not provide insight as to the location of the pinion gear and rack.

Photo taken by The Great Out Doors via BridgeHunter, License: Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)

Photo taken by Jann Mayer in July 2019 via BridgeHunter, License: Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)
[The various smokestacks in the background appear to be part of the Detroit Sewage Treatment Plant.]

Andrew Dean Aerial Photography posted
Herbert C. Jackson passing by the rail bridge at Zug Island.

Here is a view of the North end. When you do a Google search for "short cut canal," many of the entries are for the Panama Canal. But I did find this post.

1 of 3 photos on MichiganRailroads-bridge
"The Bridge and interlocking tower in 1972. [Charles Geletzke Jr.]

The tower for this bridge also controls local track switching. It is one of the few remaining interlocking towers in the country that is still staffed. [RailroadFan]

 

Mike Delaney posted
First vessel to unload at Ford Rouge dock after river widening and changes. Cletus Schneider arrives to unload. 1923

 

Steven Pergeau posted
Douglas Butler shared
Credit to Steven Pergeau This is a Short Cut Canal RR Bascule Bridge detail located in Detroit, MI crossing the Rouge River.

Some people actually fish in the canal. [FishBrain] I wonder how safe it is to eat the fish. In the Chicago area there are recommendations to restrict your input. I think the main culprit is mercury. Since I don't fish, I don't pay close attention. FishBrain is where I saw "21" in the name of the canal. 

Is that because its original design depth was 21'? [USACE]

NS/NYC/LS&MS Bridges over (West) Rocky River in Olmsted Falls, OH, near Cleveland

Old: (Bridge Hunter) 

New: (Bridge Hunter; 3D Satellite)

1910 Postcard via BridgeHunter-old

NYC/LS&MS replaced their stone arch bridge over the East Rocky River. For this bridge they widened the stone arch bridge by adding concrete to both sides.

Postcard via BridgeHunter-new

Trees now block much of the view. It is pretty obvious why it is called a rocky river.

3D Satellite

I got this Street View link from BridgeHunter-new. I don't know how they got it. Can a street view camera be carried by a person because it appears the camera is in the river, Obviously, the river was a lot lower in Sep 2021 than it was during the above satellite shot. This street view clearly shows that the bridge was widened by adding concrete on both side of the original stone-arch bridge. Note that even though the stone is a lot older, it is in better shape than the concrete. I not only see spalling, I see exposed rebar.

Street View, Sep 2021

Brian Jules posted 10 photos with the comment: "1853 meets 1909 with the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern railroad bridge in Olmsted Falls, Ohio. Original 1853 sandstone arch viaduct, rebuilt and modified in 1909 with the concrete open spandel arch bridge seen today. Seems strange but must of been common practice as I’ve seen many bridges simular in the area."

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Brian Jules commented on this post

Brian Jules commented on this post

NS/NYC/LS&MS and CSX/Big Four Bridges over East Rocky River near Cleveland, OH (in Berea)

1909 NS: (Bridge Hunter; 3D Satellite, the northern or downstream bridge)

1800s Aban: (Bridge Hunter; 3D Satellite, the middle bridge)

1918 CSX: (Bridge Hunter; 3D Satellite, the southern or upstream bridge)

These bridges are over the East Rocky River. The LS&MS also had to cross Rocky River Bridge, which is a little further west.

This photo is looking South or upstream. the NS/NYC/LS&MS open-spandrel bridge is in the foreground, the abandoned NYC/LS&MS stone-arch bridge is in the middle and the CSX/Big Four closed-spandrel bridge is in the background. The open-spandrel bridge replaced the stone arch bridge.

Todd Dillon Flickr via three Bridge Hunters

 

The NS bridge is an open spandrel concrete arch bridge, and NS is letting spalling take a toll on it. On the right side of  this photo is some of the remnants of the abandoned stone arch bridge.

Street View

Bridges Now and Then posted
The Rocky River Bridge, Rocky River, Ohio, 1909. (Historic Structures)
Jeff Mullins: Lots of temporary works in this photo! How did they build the arch falsework…..by hand? No cranes in those days! Look at the man on the far river bank for scale.

Stone arch bridges can survive an incredible amount of neglect. The arch to the west was probably deliberately torn down to make room for the trail+road.

Street View
Craig Sanders Flickr caught this view in better light.

Brian Jules posted seven photos with the comment: "Berea, Ohio with the first railroad bridge over East Branch Rocky River. Irishman William Murphy came from Ireland and built a single track Berea sandstone arch viaduct in 1849. In service until 1909 when it was replaced by a much larger 3 rail concrete bridge which also eliminated the dangerous curve west of the original. It has stood the test of time. Bridge is widely known for President Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train passing over it. Info referenced from Holzworth, Men of Grit and Greatness."

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

The CSX/Big Four bridge is a closed-spandrel bridge.

Street View

It is not too often that you see a road bridge that has been maintained much better than a railroad bridge.

Street View

This is the post that motivated researching the Rocky River. 

Bobby Becker posted
An eastbound NS train crosses the Rocky River in the Cleveland Metroparks December 2018.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Bobby's post
It looks like it may have been taken from the Berea Falls Scenic Overlook.
https://www.google.com/.../data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4...
Bobby Becker: Dennis DeBruler. It was indeed.

Greg Allen posted with the only location clue being Northeast Ohio region.

Brian Jules commented on Greg's post
One of the earliest mills in Berea was here. You can see the flat vertical plane in your photo of the mill, there’s also a small stone wall still there.

Jackie Lee Wyzykowski commented on Greg's post
One of my favorite spots it’s a nice place to just sit and relax

Jeff Sigsworth commented on Greg's post
Looks like the "Berea rocks" area, as my grandfather called it. Here he is visiting there with his bicycle about 1923:

Al Klammer commented on Greg's post

The north bridge was the NYC's LS&MS and the southern bridge was NYC's Big Four. I presume the abandoned bridge in the middle was an interurban.

1953/55 Lakewood Quad @ 24,000

I learned that ownership of the LS&MS route changes in Cleveland between NS on the west side and CSX on the east side.