January 5: Construction Begins on the Golden Gate Bridge (1933)
Prayer Idea
Thank God for people who work on bridges, tunnels, and roads. Pray for their safety as they do their jobs.
History Note
After over a decade of planning and preparation, construction on the Golden Gate Bridge began on January 5, 1933. Chief engineer Joseph Strauss insisted that workers stay safe while building the bridge. Resident engineer Russell Cone was in charge of safety. If anyone horsed around, he risked being fired immediately.
Work crews wore a new invention—hard hats. The helmets that American soldiers wore during World War I inspired veteran Edward W. Bullard to design the Hard Boiled Hat. Russell Cone made sure that all men wore hard hats all the time.
San Francisco fog is legendary. During the day, fog can come in and go out many times. Fog made the steel of the bridge wet. This made walking on it slippery, similar to walking on ice. Workers also had to be careful that the wind didn’t blow them off the bridge. A large safety net, similar to a circus net, saved the lives of 19 workers who fell off the bridge. However, 11 workers died in accidents and others were injured during construction.
In May of 1937, San Franciscans celebrated the completion of the world’s longest suspension bridge built up to that time.
Golden Gate Bridge. Photo by ESB Professional / Shutterstock.com.
Learn More
This silent footage shows scenes from the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge, including planes flying over it, ships sailing under it, and cars and pedestrians crossing it.
See photos taken during construction of the bridge.
Learn more about the bridge with videos and other resources at Homeschool History.
