Al Smith – First Boy to Cross the Brooklyn Bridge

Just north of the Brooklyn Bridge, on the Manhattan side, you’ll find the Alfred Smith Houses, named for Governor Al Smith who grew up there.  In addition to being the first Roman Catholic to run for president in 1928, Smith served four consecutive terms as governor of New York.

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America’s Cup: The Schooner America

August 22, 1851:

The history of the America’s Cup began during the Great Exhibition of London.  A regatta between the British Empire and the United States of America was staged as the 100 Guinea Cup to serve as definitive proof of the British Empire’s technological leadership.

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Brooklyn Bridge Construction: Laying the Foundation

The bottom of the East River is sand – unfit to support the necessary weight of the Brooklyn Bridge towers – and at the time no one knew how far down the sand went.  The Cincinnati Bridge, also constructed by John Roebling, was easy.  Its foundation is barely knee-deep in water.  In contrast, the foundation of the Brooklyn Bridge would be laid 40-80 feet deep.

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