The first passenger train on the newly completed Chicago & Northwestern Bridge crossed the Missouri River on October 14, 1907.

     With its completion, the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad bridge connected the Capitol city of Pierre to the Black Hills. Rail lines replaced the cumbersome trails of western South Dakota. The 1,862.5 foot bridge crossed a river and helped connect an entire state.

South Dakota State Historical Society
900 Governors Dr.
Pierre SD 57501-2217
phone 605-773-3458     fax 605-773-60