The Brooklyn Bridge Turns 125

I was there at the 100th anniversary and it was a spectacle to behold. I'd never seen so many fireworks go off in such a dazzling display. In a way, it was even more spectacular than the Statue of Liberty centennial four years later in 1986 because the fireworks were concentrated on and around the bridge instead of throughout Upper New York Harbor.

Still, the Bridge is central to the story of New York City, and without the bridge, the City as we know it today would not have come about. It hastened the integration and consolidation of the City - as New York and Brooklyn were once separate cities.

It took the fortitude of the Roebling family to make the bridge come to life, with John Roebling killed during the planning stages. His son Washington succumbed to the bends (caisson disease) during construction, and his wife Emily would end up overseeing the project to completion.

At the time, it was not only the longest suspension bridge in the world, but the tallest structure in the United States.

The bridge has undergone major revisions over time - at its open, it carried trolley lines between the boroughs, but those were eliminated in 1950. The pedestrian walkway was also realigned to eliminate staircases in the 1980s.

Yet, while many other bridges in the city have been built since, none have the kind of cachet that the Brooklyn Bridge does.