Jackson Branch Bridge No. 15
About this property
The Jackson Branch Bridge No. 15, also known as the Tecumseh Railroad Bridge due to its close proximity to the city of Tecumseh, is a historic railway deck truss bridge that spans the River Raisin in rural Raisin Charter Township in Lenawee County, Michigan. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 4, 2001. The Palmyra and Jacksonburgh Railroad was organized in the 1830s as a branch of the Erie and Kalamazoo Railroad. Both railroads failed in the late 1830s, and the lines were leased to the Michigan Southern Railway (later the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway). In about 1890, the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern contracted the Union Bridge Company of Athens, Pennsylvania to fabricate trusses for a bridge on the original Erie & Kalamazoo line. In 1896, they reused these trusses, along with new steel plate girder spans were fabricated by the Detroit Bridge & Iron Works and the Toledo Bridge Company to fabricate this bridge. The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway was later absorbed into other railroads, and in 1982 Conrail abandoned the branch on which this bridge sits. The Southern Michigan Railroad Society purchased the Jackson Branch and the bridge in 1985, and operates historic trains on the bridge. The 254-foot-10½-inch-long (77.7 m) four-span bridge carries a single track over the River Raisin. The railway sits 40 feet (12 m) above the river's surface. The closest road to the bridge is North Raisin Center Highway approximately 250 feet (76 m) east of the bridge. The area is heavily wooded, and the bridge cannot be seen from the roadway during the summer months. Access to the bridge is strictly prohibited, however it can be crossed via passenger train. The bridge consists of a Pratt deck truss span 116 feet in length, with pinned connections and inclined end posts, spanning the river; along with two deck plate girder spans, each 44 feet in length, at one end; and a third deck plate girder span, 50 feet in length, at the other. The bridge is supported by ashlar abutments and piers. The bridge deck is 10 feet wide, and is constructed of 8X8 timbers.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Jackson Branch Bridge No. 15
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Questions about this property
When was Jackson Branch Bridge No. 15 listed on the National Register?
Jackson Branch Bridge No. 15 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 4, 2001.
What type of historic resource is Jackson Branch Bridge No. 15?
Jackson Branch Bridge No. 15 is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Jackson Branch Bridge No. 15?
The period of significance for Jackson Branch Bridge No. 15 is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Jackson Branch Bridge No. 15?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Jackson Branch Bridge No. 15 will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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