The Suspension Bridges of Andrew Smith Hallidie

Abstract

Andrew Smith Hallidie (1836–1900) played a central role in the development of the suspension bridge, not only in California but across the United States. While Hallidie did not invent the suspension bridge, he made improvements in the manufacture of iron and steel cables for such bridges. He also built at least eight substantial bridges, all in remote regions of California and elsewhere in the late 1850s and early 1860s. He made a meaningful contribution to the transportation history of the Mother Lode, building bridges that were able to withstand the ferocious floods that decimated the region during the early 1860s.