CAMELBACK BRIDGE
The town of Normal was created at the junction of the Illinois
Central and the Chicago and Alton Railroads. The Camelback Bridge
is the last surviving structure in Normal associated with the
railroad. Its location was chosen because here the railroad
builders had been forced to excavate a deep cut through the crest
of Normal Moraine. Even so, the bridge had to be built with a
distinctive "camelback" shape in order to permit early wood burning
locomotives, with their tall stacks, to pass under the bridge.
The first bridge in this location was made entirely of wood.
About 1904 that bridge was replaced with a distinctive kingpost
structure. The columns which now support the bridge were salvaged
from another Illinois Central bridge which once crossed the
Illinois River.
These columns were cast at the nationally famous Phoenix Foundry
in PA which gained acclaim in the Civil War by producing cannons
for the Union army. The Bridge is a remarkable and unique survivor
of Illinois most famous early railroad. It is the only known
example of this type of bridge remaining in the state.
With the opening of the Constitution Trail in 1988, the bridge
became the trail's most noteworthy landmark. In 1997 the Camelback
Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This
historic bridge was rehabilitated by the town of Normal in
2001.
The first to find will get a penny for luck on future caches.
good luck and have fun. Congrats go to PKKAT4 for being the
FTF.