The railroad bridge over the Black River had a swinging section in order to let the tall steamboats pass through, as did most railroad bridges of this era. The St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern Railway Company built a branch line at the little town of Diaz that led from the main line between St. Louis and Newport northwesterly to Batesville and on to Springfield, Missouri.
From the Ray Hanley Collection.
From Watson, Tim, and Elizabeth Jacoway. Newport and Jackson County. Arcadia Publishing, 2016