The Golden Gate Bridge

One of the highlights of our family’s trip to California almost a dozen years ago was the thrill of driving over The Golden Gate Bridge! After seeing it in countless movies, TV shows and news programs, to actually EXPERIENCE the sensation of looking out over San Francisco Bay and Alcatraz is something I’ll always cherish.

The bridge began its construction on this date-January 5—in 1933, right at the start of the Great Depression.

How anyone could look at the span to cross, the strong currents, the depth of the water, not to mention the winds and the inclination of the earth to quake in that part of the world and then conclude, “Hey, let’s build a BRIDGE here!”---is beyond my comprehension.

The idea of a bridge at this location dates from 1869—and the aftermath of the California Gold Rush, where land north of San Francisco Bay was expected to increase greatly in value. The hardships of construction and the estimated cost of $100 million dollars kept plans on hold until 1916. City engineer Michael O’Shaughnessy (who is credited with coming up with the name of the bridge) began asking bridge engineers if a structure could be built for less.

Enter Joseph Strauss—a 5 foot tall engineer and poet from Chicago, who said he could build the bridge for $25-30 million—with a main span of 4,000 feet!

Even that reduced cost was an issue during the Depression, but the jobs it would create essentially sealed the deal. A bond issue was floated to pay for construction (A bond that wouldn’t be paid off until 1971)

Here are a couple of videos with rare footage of the construction of what has been called the “World’s Most Beautiful Bridge”—and certainly the most photographed:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLRCZAXfEa4



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hfFOm2Af1s


At the time of its opening in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge was the longest span in the world. The official opening was on May 27, 1937 as cars made the crossing. However, over 200,000 people crossed on foot the day before.

A marvel to see—and the symbol of the great city of San Francisco, the distinctive red/orange paint job is constantly being touched up to ward off rust.

If ever you get the chance to make the trip, don’t miss the exhilarating trip across the Golden Gate Bridge!

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