HISTORY54 - Golden Gate Bridge
Pat and I will be touring Muir’s Woods, and Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks next month, starting in San Francisco. I posted a blog about the history of these parks, “John Muir’s California,” on December 23, 2021. This blog will cover the history of the Golden Gate Bridge, which we will cross on Day 1 of our tour. After a short introduction, I’ll cover the period before the bridge was built, including the history of the Golden Gate Strait, Fort Point, early ferry service across the strait, and obstacles to building the bridge. Then, I’ll discuss the design and financing of the bridge, and the building of the bridge – including a construction timeline. Next, I’ll describe the completed bridge, the men who built the bridge, and end with some additional interesting facts about the bridge. My principal sources include The Gate: The True Story of the Design and Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge by John van der Zee; “Golden Gate” and “Golden Gate Bridge,”