Chicago River Bridges presents the untold history and development of Chicago's iconic bridges, from the first wood footbridge built by a tavern owner in 1832 to the fantastic marvels of steel, concrete, and machinery of today. It is the story of Chicago as seen through its bridges, for it has been the bridges that proved critical in connecting and reconnecting the people, industry, and neighborhoods of a city that is constantly remaking itself. In this book, author Patrick T. McBriarty shows how generations of Chicagoans built (and rebuilt) the thriving city trisected by the Chicago River and linked by its many crossings.

The first comprehensive guidebook of these remarkable features of Chicago's urban landscape, Chicago River Bridges chronicles more than 175 bridges spanning 55 locations along the Main Channel, South Branch, and North Branch of the Chicago River. With new full-color photography of the existing bridges by Kevin Keeley and Laura Banick and more than one hundred black and white images of bridges past, the book unearths the rich history of Chicago's downtown bridges from the Michigan Avenue Bridge to the often forgotten bridges that once connected thoroughfares such as Rush, Erie, Taylor, and Polk Streets.

Throughout, McBriarty delivers new research into the bridges' architectural designs, engineering innovations, and their impact on Chicagoans' daily lives. Describing the structure and mechanics of various kinds of moveable bridges (including vertical-lift, Scherer rolling lift, and Strauss heel trunnion mechanisms) in a manner that is accessible and still satisfying to the bridge aficionado, he explains how the dominance of the "Chicago-style" bascule drawbridge influenced the style and mechanics of bridges worldwide. Interspersed throughout are the human dramas that played out on and around the bridges, such as the floods of 1849 and 1992, the cattle crossing collapse of the Rush Street Bridge, or Vincent "The Schemer" Drucci's Michigan Avenue Bridge jump.

A confluence of Chicago history, urban design, and engineering lore, Chicago River Bridges illustrates Chicago's significant contribution to drawbridge innovation and the city's emergence as the drawbridge capital of the world. It is perfect for any reader interested in learning more about the history and function of Chicago's many and varied bridges. The introduction won The Henry N. Barkhausen Award for original research in the field of Great Lakes maritime history sponsored by the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History.

| Cover Title Page Copyright Contents Preface Acknowledgments Introduction The Bridges of theMain Channel (from East to West) Lake Shore Drive Bridges Columbus Drive Bridge Michigan Avenue Bridge Rush Street Bridges Wabash Avenue Bridge State Street Bridges Dearborn Street Bridges Clark Street Bridges La Salle Street Bridge and Tunnel Wells Street Bridges Franklin-Orleans Street Bridge The Bridges of the South Branch (from North to South) Lake Street Bridges South Branch Bridge Randolph Street Bridges Washington Street Tunnel and Bridges Madison Street Bridge Monroe Street Bridge Adams Street Bridges Jackson Boulevard Bridges Van Buren Street Bridges and Tunnel Congress Street Bridges Harrison Street Bridges Taylor Street Bridges Roosevelt Road (Formerly 12th Street) Bridge 18th Street Bridges Canal Street Bridges Cermak Road Bridges Dan Ryan (I-90/I-94) Expressway Bridge South Halsted Street Bridges Throop Street Bridges Loomis Street Bridges South Ashland Avenue Bridges The Bridges of the North Branch (from South to North) Kinzie Street Bridges Grand Avenue Bridges Ohio Street Bridge Erie Street Bridges Chicago Avenue Bridges Pearson and...