In 1866, the Covington and Cincinnati Suspension Bridge was the largest suspension bridge in the world. Also called the Ohio Bridge, it was officially renamed the John A. Roebling Bridge in 1983. It was the first permanent bridge over the Ohio River and the only public project in America financed by private investors during the Civil War.

Renowned bridge designer John A. Roebling proposed the structure in 1846; but building the bridge would become a 20-year saga, with heated lobbying both for and against the crossing.

The bridge was a direct predecessor to Roebling's masterpiece, the Brooklyn Bridge, completed in 1883.

Resources

1. Steinman, D.B, The Builders of the Bridge: The Story of John Roebling & His Son, Harcourt Brace & Company, 1945