Happy 100th to the Bridge!!

Reprinted from the Cartwight History Book:

Cartwright can boast of the only railroad tunnel in North Dakota. In the summer of 1911, the Great Northern Railroad started to build the tunnel by the Yellowstone River. This was one structure that was begun at the top instead of the bottom. The top half was put through first. It was put through by hand with the aid of dynamite. The dirt was hauled out with one horse and a small car on rails. The horse had a syrup pail with a lighted candle in it, fastened to his neck so he could see to follow the rails.

The tunnel, 1445.7 feet long is built with a curve so it is impossible to see through it from one end to the other. It was built through an 80 foot hill which required two tons of dynamite. It is completely lined with creosote treated timbers. Many of the homesteaders found work here, for themselves and their teams of horses, while proving up their claims. The coal that was dug out of the tunnel was used by the homesteaders.

At the same time the tunnel was being built, the 2,994 foot drawbridge was constructed over the Yellowstone River for railroad use. Steamboats had been using the river, so it was thought necessary to put the lift span to allow boats free passage to Fort Benton, Montana. It is understood that the lift was used only once and that was to see if it would work.

The machinery has long since been removed and all that remains is the little house on top of the bridge that had housed the lifting mechanism. The tunnel and bridge were opened for railroad use in 1913.

Previous to the building of the bridge, a ferry had operated at this site. When the ferry was no longer in operation, the bridge was planked for vehicular traffic. A toll man was stationed on the east end of the bridge twenty-four hours a day. Before crossing, a person stopped to call the man on duty to get permission to cross, as it was one-way traffic, or to be sure the train wasn’t coming. At that time the trains used this branch route every day. A stop gate was across the west end of the bridge and only the gate-man could open it. For many years, a toll was charged for the privilege of crossing this narrow, scary bridge.

The Galloping Goose, as well as the freight train, signaled their coming before entering the tunnel or crossing the bridge. The tunnel was an attraction for many and the braver young folks drove their cars onto the rails, through the tunnel and across the bridge, with an ear tuned for an approaching train. And perchance you were walking through and a lumbering train caught you midway, you would huddle between the timbers as the train rumbled by, coming out all covered with soot!

With the completion of the Hjalmer Nelson Memorial Bridge just down stream from the railroad bridge, the planks were removed and the toll man retired. The railroad bridge, silhouetted against the buffs of the Yellowstone River is now an historical site enjoyed by visitors from all over the world.