Sioux City in Woodbury County, Iowa — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Pacific Short Line Bridge
Started 1890 Finished 1896
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, June 17, 2021
1. Pacific Short Line Bridge (Iowa Side) Marker
Built By: Phoenix Bridge Company - Fabricator and Erector
Sooysmith & Company - Foundations & Piers
The stone of this monument came from piers of the previous bridge erected at this spot. The Pacific Short Line had been a speculative railroad venture by Sioux City businessmen who sought new markets to the west. The Railroad company failed in 1893, but Sioux City investors saw the bridge to completion . The bridge opened new business markets and tied northeastern Nebraska to Sioux City. The structure was known locally as the combination bridge because it originally carried trains and street cars down the center and horse drawn cars and pedestrians on the outside. It consisted of two 500 foot Pennsylvania fixed spans and two 470 foot Pratt rim bearing swing spans with timber trestle approaches. The swing spans were needed to allow passage of steamboat and were first opened by hand and later by electrical power. The Iowa swing span was removed in 1959. Because the Pacific Short Line bridge was eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. A written History and photographs of the bridge were prepared in 1980 for the Historic American Engineering record of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. The bridge was demolished in March 1981, when a modern replacement structure
this page online
Erected 1981.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1981.
Location. 42° 29.351′ N, 96° 24.771′ W. Marker is in Sioux City, Iowa, in Woodbury County. Marker is on Larsen Park Road, on the right when traveling east. This marker is located in Chris Larsen Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Sioux City IA 51101, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Spirit of Siouxland (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Pacific Short Line Bridge (Nebraska Side) (approx. 0.2 miles away in Nebraska); The Lewis & Clark Expedition (approx. 0.3 miles away); M.V. Sergeant Floyd (approx. 0.3 miles away); Prospect Hill (approx. 0.4 miles away); MA1 (EXW) John Douangdara (approx. 1.6 miles away in Nebraska); Grand Army of the Republic (approx. 1.9 miles away); Floyd Monument (approx. 2.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sioux City.
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, June 17, 2021
2. Pacific Short Line Bridge (Iowa Side) Marker
Photographed By LOC HAER IA-1 ia0082
3. An Early Twentieth Century View of the Pacific Short Line Bridge.
Photo is from the Library of Congress, taken from Prospect Hill. Photo is from Survey HAER IA-1.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 5, 2021. It was originally submitted on August 2, 2021, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. This page has been viewed 127 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 3, 2021, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
