Illinois Central Stone Arch Railroad Bridges - History

History

The three bridges were built between 1852 and 1855 from locally quarried limestone as the Illinois Central Railroad (ICRR) built the first railroad lines crossing the state. In the summer of 1851 the Illinois Central began laying its first section of track, from Mendota to Amboy. On March 6, 1852 the route the ICRR would take through Dixon was announced. By 1853 the section was complete and the first locomotives rolled into the city of Amboy, 12 miles (19.3 km) south of Dixon, on November 27, 1853. Amboy's depot would eventually become the Northern Division Headquarters for the Illinois Central Railroad.

The section of railroad that came through Dixon was constructed from 1852-1855 partially on a 15 foot (4.6 m) embankment that would cradle the trio of bridges when the project was completed. The bridges were constructed of Galena faced limestone quarried just upstream the Rock River from Dixon at Dement's Quarry. The first train passed over the trio of bridges along West First, Second and Third Streets on February 1, 1855. The arrival of the train prompted the local media to quip of the train, "like a huge chariot of fire on a monstrous beast, it bellowed along -- high above the dwellings." The bridges remained in use by the railroad until December 21, 1985.