Louisville & Nashville Railroad v. City of East St. Louis

Broadway, in East St. Louis, runs east and west, crossing Cahokia creek. The street is crossed by several railroad tracks, immediately east of the creek. In July, 1889, the city council passed an ordinance for the construction of a viaduct over these tracks, which was also to span the creek. It was provided by the ordinance, that this viaduct should be paid for by a special assessment upon the property benefited thereby, to the amount that the same could be legally assessed, and the balance by- general taxation. The cost was estimated to be $55,000. The commissioners appointed to make the…