Sunday, January 5, 2014

Golden Gate Bridge is Born

This Day in History: January 5, 1933

The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco via Reg Saddler

Construction begins today in the year 1933 on what was to become one of the world's most beautiful bridges, a stunning technological and artistic achievement: the Golden Gate Bridge, a symbol of San Francisco. This engineering marvel was by no means a spur of the moment venture or overnight undertaking. The concept for the bridge arose as early as 1872 and was not completed until 1937.

Golden Gate with Fort Point in foreground, c. 1891

Prior to the conception of the Golden Gate Bridge, the only way to cross San Francisco Bay was by ferry. By the early 20th century, the bay was clogged with ferries eluding to a greater necessity for a bridge as proposed by engineer and bridge-builder Joseph Strauss in the 1920s.

Construction on the bridge did not begin without opposition. The military, loggers, the railroads each had their own reasons. Nor did the building of the bridge go without dangers in its midst - the area where the bridge was to be built often encountered winds up to 60 mph with strong ocean currents that swept through a rugged canyon below the surface. And, if that was not enough, the era was in the middle of the Great Depression where money was definitely not plentiful, but quite the opposite...scarce! With construction already under way, voters overwhelmingly approved $35 million in bonds to continue building the Golden Gate Bridge, which was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.

6 Things You May Not Know About the Golden Gate Bridge

Deconstructing History: Golden Gate Bridge

Frequently Asked Questions about the Golden Gate Bridge

Within the above link, you will find answers to questions such as...

WHY THE NAME GOLDEN GATE?

The Golden Gate Strait is the entrance to the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. The strait is approximately three-miles long by one-mile wide with currents ranging from 4.5 to 7.5 knots. It is generally accepted that the strait was named "Chrysopylae", or Golden Gate, by John C. Fremont, Captain, topographical Engineers of the U.S. Army circa 1846. It reminded him of a harbor in Istanbul named Chrysoceras or Golden Horn.