August 2000 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

RE -RATE REPORT FOR R.R. BRIDGE HISTORY This railway line first appeared in the 1911 atlas. It is believed to have been originally constructed in the mid 1890's by the Indiana, Illinois and Iowa Railroad, otherwise known as the Chicago Indiana Southern. This rail company, most commonly referred to as the three I's arrived in South Bend in the mid 1800's. It constructed a line that gave manufacturers and merchants a direct connection with practically every railroad entering Chicago. The line ran only freight cars and was perhaps the most successful railroad of its kind in the country. It is believed that the line running north through the west portion of South Bend curving to run parallel with Angela Street and ending at Notre Dame University was erected in the late 1880's or early 1890's. It was reported in the South Bend Tribune in 1895 that the Portage Avenue Bridge over the I.I. & I. R.R. was widened for ease of travel. The three I's were responsible for the construction of the first railway bridge over the St. Joseph River to run just north of the Angela Street Bridge. By 1917 the line and bridge had been sold to the Michigan Central Railroad. They owned the line until it was taken over by New York Central. It is unknown which of these two railway companies was responsible for the demolition of the original bridge and the construction of a new bridge around 1927. The bridge saw rail lines change hands several more times before being purchased by the Pennsylvania Lines LLC in 1999. This company leases the rights to the Norfolk and Southern Corporation. This bridge was a portion of a freight system that hauled coal to Notre Dame University. IVI&O"I 1ol"I�0 This is a deck plate girder bridge made out of concrete bases and steel girders and deck. CRITERIA AND EVALUATING All properties are evaluated in terms of historical significance, architectural merit and integrity. Each resource was evaluated by a professional using the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. The three main criteria are: 1) Historic Significance: An association with exploration and settlement, Commercial or Industrial development and or the attachment to the lives - of important people. - - - 2) Architectural Merit: Representative of a particular architectural style.