Chicago’s Bridges

Book excerpt: The Chicago River divides America's Second City into the North and South Sides, and the bridges that span it are famous for their number and beauty. With the first constructed in 1832, it was only twelve years later that a moveable bridge appeared, and today Chicago is home to some sixty bridges in all, making it one of the most bridge-rich cities in the world. These bridges even today offer fascinating glimpses into Chicago's development from rough-and-tumble trading outpost to world-class city known for its architecture and culture, and this book traces the evolution of them all, from the original rising bascules to the splendidly designed twentieth-century structures that lend Chicago much of the grandeur for which it is known world-wide.