old photo of the bridge soon after it was built
(see gallery for new photos)
When the basic route was planned for the railroad to go through Adams County, a decision had to be made as to where the tracks would cross the Wisconsin River at the western edge of the county. A site was chosen south of the mouth of Big Roche-A-Cri Creek near what was called “Carmons Rock”. Work commenced on the trestle and the bridge, and when that was completed, tracks for the rest of the route could be quickly laid towards Holmsville (now Dellwood) and points east.
The bridge is still in use today. Near this particular cache you can cross the tracks on 20th Avenue just south of the large Northern Bay complex and golf course. If you look to the northwest as you cross, you can see the ironwork of the bridge. The river waters beneath the bridge are good for early season walleye fishing, as well as other angling. When the Union Pacific Railroad sponsors “Operation: Lifesaver” train rides for the public each summer, those trains cross the river here and briefly stop on the bridge as they travel from Adams to Necedah and back.
