Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
July 26, 1820 A dedication ceremony was held for the Union Chain Bridge spanning the River Tweed and serving as a link between the village of Horncliffe in England and the parish of Fishwick in Scotland. At the time of its opening, this structure – with a length of 449 feet (137 meters) – was... Continue Reading →
April 25, 1928 Florida’s Tamiami Trail, which encompasses the southernmost 275 miles (443 kilometers) of U.S. Route 41, was officially opened. This highway starts at State Road 60 in Tampa on the west coast of the state, courses along what has become the Big Cypress National Preserve, intersects with Naples, cuts through the tropical and swampy... Continue Reading →
February 24, 1839 Civil engineer William Smith Otis of Philadelphia was issued U.S. patent number 1,089 for the steam shovel, which was classified in that patent as a “Crane-Excavator for Excavating and Removing Earth.” As designed by Otis, this large steam-powered machine -- when mounted on wheeled devices such as carriages or railroad cars --... Continue Reading →
During his long engineering career, Archibald Alphonso “Archie” Alexander achieved widespread acclaim for the bridges and other transportation infrastructure that he helped create across the United States. Alexander was born on May 14, 1888, in Ottumwa, Iowa. He was the oldest of the nine children of Price and Mary Alexander, and they were all part... Continue Reading →
June 13, 1888 Construction on a swing-span railroad bridge spanning the body of water known as the Arthur Kill and linking Staten Island, New York, with mainland New Jersey was completed at 3:00 p.m. At the time, the 800-foot (240-meter)-long Arthur Kill Bridge was the world’s largest drawbridge. It was also the only land connection to Staten... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 