Leave it up to A.J. Hinrichs to know so much about an Ogle County railroad bridge that’s more than 90 years old. The piece of local history has become near and dear to Hinrichs, who makes sure its beauty is long-lasting.

It’s not just any railroad bridge that Hinrichs takes pride in, this one – at Pine Creek Historic Wooden Bridge Park – is made of wood planks and wood logs that continue to carry cars and trucks over the busy BNSF Northern Transcon rail line connecting Chicago and Seattle. Wood bridges are becoming fewer and fewer these days, but this one on Columbian Road east of White Pines State Park (which is west of Oregon, Illinois) is one of the most maintained in northern Illinois.

Last week, I posted about the Ken Wise Rochelle Railroad park, which is 20 miles east of here. This train viewing site near the wooden bridge is much more quieter and scenic.

Hinrichs, with help from his father Andy and mother Lisa who live nearby, added to the bridge’s unique history by building a park along the bridge’s southeast corner in 2019, complete with benches and a fire pit, with views of the railroad line and its fast-moving trains going under it. Trees surrounding it also give the park a sense of some nature sightseeing as well. The bridge is on a country road, about a half-mile north of a primary county road, so the sound of zooming cars isn’t going to interfere with the aura.

Wood bridges are unlike regular bridges. They are special. They should be crossed with care, so please go real slow when going across it.

Find “Pine Creek Historic Wooden Bridge Park” on Facebook for information, recent pictures and video of activity both on and below the Columbian Road Bridge over the line.

In the fall of 2021, I wrote a story on Hinrichs, the bridge and his park for Sauk Valley Media’s “Ogle County Living” magazine. He was a junior at Oregon High School at the time. Also included is a brief synopsis of the area’s existing wood bridges at the time of publication.

I’ll leave the rest of this post to the words and pictures I took then. You can read all about the park and its development by clicking on the magazine cover below, which takes you to the online version of the story. Enjoy!

(Cody’s note: Recycling road trip destination stories from the Sauk Valley Media magazines I write for will be a common feature on this website. Updates are provided when necessary.)

Pine Creek Historic Wooden Bridge Park
1191 South Columbian Road, Oregon
Find it on Facebook for more information.
Magazine story URL: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/svm_ocl_090621/16