Today in History: Golden Gate Bridge

Today in History: Golden Gate Bridge

Today in History–May 27–the Library of Congress features the Golden Gate Bridge, opened on this date in 1937. The orange suspension bridge was the longest at the time, spanning 4,200 feet and connecting San Francisco to the south with Marin County, California to the north. Lead engineer Joseph Baermann Strauss stressed safety during the bridge building, instituting the wearing…

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Indian Timothy Memorial Bridge

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Indian Timothy Memorial Bridge

The caption lists the date of creation of this photo to be 1993. Do you think the bridge was built around the same time as the photo was taken? Why or why not? Look carefully at details in the photograph and the bibliographic record. What purpose do you think this bridge serves? Can you find this…

Today in History: Williamsburg Bridge

Today in History: Williamsburg Bridge

Today in History–December 19–the Library of Congress features New York City’s Williamsburg Bridge, opened on this day in 1903. Built to alleviate traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge, the Williamsburg Bridge was the largest of three steel-frame suspension bridges to eventually span the city’s East River.  Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access more…

Today in History: Roebling & the Brooklyn Bridge

Today in History: Roebling & the Brooklyn Bridge

Today in History–June 12–the Library of Congress features civil engineer John A. Roebling, born on this day in 1806. Roebling’s last and greatest achievement was completing the Brooklyn bridge in 1883. The bridge spans New York’s East River nearly 1,600 feet to connect Manhattan with Brooklyn. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to…