Originally compiled by past East Peoria Historical Society President, Frank Borror, in April 2017

Peoria area’s first railroad bridge, owned by the Peoria and Oquawka Railroad, spanned the Illinois River from near where Steak ’n Shake is now located on the east bank to the foot of Walnut Street on the Peoria bank. The approaches of this bridge and the Cole Wagon Bridge, which carried horse and foot traffic, actually crossed on the East Peoria side of the river. The Illinois River Bridge, as it was designated, was designed by Octave Chanute of aviation fame. It was constructed by Chicago contractors Harper and Tweeddale for the sum of $60,000. 

The bridge was constructed of wood with a 300-foot truss, a 292-foot swing span, and 330 feet of trestle. A year after the completion of the bridge, on the evening of November 4, 1858, a near disaster occurred. The engineer of a passenger train approaching the bridge failed to realize the span was open to allow the passage of a steamboat. The engine and tender propelled into the river while the baggage car hung tediously on the pier. Fortunately none of the passenger cars left the track. No passengers were injured and the train crew suffered only minor injuries. The wooden structure was damaged many times by high water, ice and tow boat collisions, and was finally replaced in 1890 with a steel-constructed bridge of the same design. This bridge was in service until February 12, 1970, when it was struck by a barge tow that destroyed the bridge. Insurance would cover the replacement of a like bridge but the federal government insisted that improvements be made to aid in navigation. The railroad, lacking sufficient funds to comply, removed the bridge and was forced to lease river crossing rights from Peoria and Pekin Union Railway for use of P&PU’s bridge downstream from Cedar Street Bridge.

Rail service had come to East Peoria following the June 22, 1852 amending of the charter of the Peoria & Oquawka Railroad to extend its line from Peoria east to the Indiana state line. The P& O, prior to that time, operated from Peoria west to Oquawka on the Mississippi River. Construction on the extension east from Peoria began from the east bank of the Illinois River in June of 1853, and the first train started service on February 2, 1857 to Chenoa, Illinois. Two months later, on April 15, 1857, the Illinois River Bridge was completed. In February of 1861, the P&O became the Logansport, Peoria, and Burlington Railroad but financial problems forced the sale of the eastern segment to the newly organized Toledo, Peoria, and Warsaw Railroad. The following year, the TP&W absorbed the Mississippi and Wabash Railroad and by 1864 had expanded to Keokuk, Iowa. At this time there was talk of the Toledo, Peoria, and Warsaw Railroad being the center of a transcontinental railroad but further financial problems prevented this and forced another sale that resulted in the name being changed to Toledo, Peoria, and Western Railroad in May of 1880. In 1955, TP&W was purchased jointly by the Santa Fe and Pennsylvania Railroads. The TP&W operates today under the ownership of RailAmerica