Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company
Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company was an American fabricator and erector of iron and steel bridges, dams, viaducts, and other large structures.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company, commonly abbreviated WB&I, was an American structural-steel and bridge-construction contractor associated with Milwaukee and the wider Wisconsin industrial region. Its work included the fabrication, supply, and erection of iron and steel bridges as well as dams, viaducts, railroad structures, stadium-related facilities, and other large engineered works. The company operated during the period when steel increasingly replaced wrought iron in major American infrastructure and when specialized bridge firms competed for contracts across state lines. The company’s precise origin is disputed in the available historical accounts. One source places its founding in Milwaukee in 1888. Another traces the business to 1870, when three brothers established Weinhagen Brothers, Engineers, in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. That account says the firm adopted the Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company name in 1880 and was incorporated under that name in 1891. Because these accounts describe different founding milestones, no single founding year can be stated with confidence. The Turtleville Iron Bridge, completed in 1887 near Beloit, Wisconsin, is considered one of the company’s early truss-bridge projects. WB&I became a competitor to American Bridge Company and participated in bridge and heavy-structure projects well beyond Wisconsin. Its work extended through the American Midwest and to other parts of the United States, including Arizona, Hawaii, Michigan, Mississippi, Louisiana, Ohio, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Texas, and Virginia. The company’s portfolio included highway and railroad bridges, movable and fixed spans, dams, and major civic or sporting structures. Some projects were performed as prime contractor, while others involved steel fabrication or related construction responsibilities. The firm was closely associated for many years with the Riemer family of Elm Grove, Wisconsin. Historical accounts indicate that the family maintained a substantial affiliation with the company until its sale in the 1970s. The available material does not identify the acquiring organization or establish the exact date and circumstances of the sale. The company’s later operating status is therefore uncertain. Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company’s historical importance is reflected in the survival and recognition of several projects. The Historic American Engineering Record identifies at least 16 projects in which the company was believed to have served as a prime, steel, or fabrication contractor. A number of its works are listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places, including the Turtleville Iron Bridge, Jefferson Street Viaduct, Shirley Railroad Bridge, Seventh Street–Black River Bridge, St. Francis River Bridge, and Waverly Bridge. These surviving structures provide evidence of the company’s contribution to the development of American transportation and industrial infrastructure from the late nineteenth century through the twentieth century.
History
Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company emerged from Wisconsin’s late-nineteenth-century engineering and manufacturing economy. The historical record presents two related but not fully reconciled accounts of its beginnings. One account states that the company was founded in Milwaukee in 1888. Another traces it to Weinhagen Brothers, Engineers, a Wauwatosa firm reportedly established by three brothers in 1870. Under that version, the business became known as Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company in 1880 and was incorporated using that name in 1891. The disagreement appears to result from different definitions of the company’s founding point: the start of the predecessor business, the adoption of the later name, or formal incorporation. The company’s early work coincided with the expansion of American roads, railroads, industrial facilities, and municipal infrastructure. Its 1887 Turtleville Iron Bridge near Beloit, Wisconsin, is regarded as one of its earlier truss bridges. Other early Wisconsin work included the Green Bay Road Bridge in Manitowoc Rapids and the Woodford Bridge over the Milwaukee River, completed in 1891. These projects illustrate the company’s role in supplying metal bridge systems for local and regional transportation. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, WB&I expanded beyond Wisconsin. The company participated in a range of projects requiring specialized steel fabrication and field erection, including the Ashfork-Bainbridge Steel Dam in Arizona in 1898 and the Redridge Steel Dam in Michigan in 1901. Its bridge work included international-border infrastructure, such as the Brownsville & Matamoros International Bridge in Texas, completed in 1908, and railroad-related structures such as the Shirley Railroad Bridge in Arkansas. The firm also worked on the Hauser Dam, the MacArthur Bridge linking Iowa and Illinois, and later highway bridges in several states. WB&I competed with American Bridge Company for major contracts. Historical material notes that in at least one bidding instance the two firms submitted prices matching to the penny, illustrating the competitive character of the structural-steel contracting business. The company’s responsibilities varied by project. It could act as the principal contractor, a steel contractor, or a fabricator and erector supporting a broader engineering or construction arrangement. The company continued to contribute to transportation infrastructure during the interwar and mid-twentieth-century periods. Its identified projects include the Ironton-Russell Bridge in Ohio from 1922, the U.S. Route 90 Pearl River Bridge between Mississippi and Louisiana from 1933, the Jefferson Street Viaduct in Ottumwa, Iowa, completed in 1936, and the Hutsonville Bridge in Indiana from 1939. It also participated in later and nontraditional structures, including Aloha Stadium in Hawaii and a movable stage associated with Lincoln Center. Ownership and management were closely connected with the Riemer family of Elm Grove, Wisconsin, for a substantial portion of the company’s history. The firm was reportedly sold during the 1970s, but available reference material does not identify the buyer or document the company’s subsequent corporate history. Its present status is consequently uncertain rather than conclusively defunct. The historical record of WB&I is preserved through surviving structures and architectural-engineering documentation. The Historic American Engineering Record has identified at least 16 projects in which the company was believed to have been involved as prime, steel, or fabrication contractor. Several associated bridges and viaducts are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Turtleville Iron Bridge, Jefferson Street Viaduct, Middle Fork of the Little Red River Bridge at Shirley, Seventh Street–Black River Bridge, St. Francis River Bridge, and Waverly Bridge. Together, these works document the company’s contribution to American bridge engineering and the development of large-scale steel infrastructure.
- 1970
Reported sale of the company
[1]Historical material states that the Riemer family’s long affiliation with the company ended when the firm was sold during the 1970s; the purchaser is not identified in the available source.
- 1939
Later highway bridge projects
[1]The company was associated with the Hutsonville Bridge in Indiana and the Wasena Bridge over the Roanoke River in Virginia.
- 1936
Jefferson Street Viaduct
[1]The Jefferson Street Viaduct over the Des Moines River in Ottumwa, Iowa, was completed; the structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1933
U.S. Route 90 Pearl River Bridge
[1]WB&I participated in work on the U.S. Route 90 bridge over the Pearl River between Mississippi and Louisiana.
- 1922
Ironton-Russell Bridge
[1]The company was involved in the Ironton-Russell Bridge project in Ohio.
- 1917
MacArthur Bridge
[1]WB&I participated in the MacArthur Bridge project connecting Iowa and Illinois.
- 1908
Major bridge work in Texas and Arkansas
[1]The company was associated with the Brownsville & Matamoros International Bridge and the Shirley Railroad Bridge.
- 1901
Redridge Steel Dam
[1]WB&I participated in the Redridge Steel Dam project in Michigan.
- 1898
Ashfork-Bainbridge Steel Dam
[1]The company was associated with construction of the Ashfork-Bainbridge Steel Dam in Arizona.
- 1891
Incorporation under the company name
[1]One historical account dates formal incorporation as Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company to 1891.
Products and positioning
A heavy civil and structural-steel contractor serving public infrastructure, transportation, and large engineered-structure projects, with a historical focus on bridge fabrication and erection.
Bridge structures
Iron and steel truss bridges
WB&I fabricated and erected truss bridges for roads, railways, and other transportation routes. Its documented work includes Pratt trusses and longer-span structures later recognized for their engineering and historic value. The company’s bridge role could include structural-steel production, contract construction, and on-site erection.
Heavy civil structures
Steel dams
The company participated in large dam projects, including the Ashfork-Bainbridge Steel Dam in Arizona, the Redridge Steel Dam in Michigan, and the Hauser Dam. These projects extended its capabilities beyond conventional bridge construction into major steel-based water-control infrastructure.
Structural steel construction
Viaducts and large structural works
WB&I also worked on viaducts and other major structures requiring substantial steel fabrication and erection. The Jefferson Street Viaduct in Ottumwa is a documented example, while the company’s broader portfolio included civic, industrial, and specialized structures.
Specialized structures
Movable structures
The company was associated with movable infrastructure, including the Lincoln Center movable stage. This work indicates that its capabilities extended to mechanically adaptable large structures in addition to fixed bridges and dams.
Sources1 sources
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