1915 Black & White Image of the High Bridge & Speedway

I just came across this striking black and white photo of the High Bridge Aqueduct over the Harlem River.  It also includes the Speedway which passes under the High Bridge. The image was taken over 110 years ago, in 1915, just before World War I. The photographer took the shot, no doubt, from the Washington Bridge at 181st St., just to the North of the High Bridge by about seven blocks. 

If you look really closely, you can see the smokestack on the pumping station above the bridge and to the right.  You can also see steam from either a tug boat or a train over on the left side below the bridge.  You will also note that by 1915, New York was fully electrified as noted by the numerous street lights and the building lights in lower Manhattan.  Of course, all the columns located in the river are still there and wouldn't be removed until about 1927, when they started the construction of the steel span over the river to replace those columns to allow for navigation on the river by larger shipse

 

Another Reported Jumping From the High Bridge into the Harlem River

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As we reported in a previous blog post,  Ronald Donaldson successfully jumped from the center span of the High Bridge into the Harlem River on August 18, 1880.  We have now found another historical record of a successful jump on April 7, 1914. That's over 110 years ago!  Pictured above, Barney McPhee of Tarrytown, NY, who, from the walkway of the High Bridge walkway at the center span, jumped a distance of 120 feet down into the Harlem River, and lived to tell the tale. At that date, only three men ever attempted the feat before, and two died in the attempt. McPhee jumped in on a $300 wager. The camera caught him midway in his jump. The insert shows McPhee poised on the edge of the bridge. For readers of this blog, you may recall that we also reported that a worker on the reconstruction of the High Bridge died when he fell from the High Bridge on January 16, 2013.

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Another Look at High Bridge, Lincoln, England

 Way back in January 2013, we did a post on other bridges named High Bridge, and in that blog, we mentioned the High Bridge in Lincoln, England. 

That particular High Bridge was constructed in the year 1160. It is one of the earliest known masonary bridges to be found in England.  We recently came across a photo of that bridge from the other angle and thought that the readers here would be interested in seeing it:

This is in comparison to the earlier view of the photo posted, which is shown here:

There is another picture of this same view taken in 1902, as they reconstructed the bridge, which looked fairly interesting:

In this photo, you can see the original half-timber construction used in the structure.

It is our understanding that there is, now, a wonderful coffee shop on the ground floor.

What a delight to have a bridge with so much character.

 

Illustrations of the Croton Aqueduct by F. B. Tower, published in 1843

 

Title Page of the book

Below is an illustration from 1843 of the proposed High Bridge Aqueduct over the Harlem River that would not be completed until 1848.

The World’s Most Extreme Bridges

 

I found this YouTube video on bridges that I thought you might enjoy.  

The World's Most Extreme Bridges. I hope you enjoy watching it.

ON 174th Street

ON 174th STREET (The World of Willie Mittleman) presents the hilarious and always heart-warming experiences of an American family in the years of the Great Depression. Contrary to popular belief, everyone did not fall apart during the catastrophic 1930s. Life went on. Most families clung together and, in their love and closeness, met each day's challenges with imagination, humor and guts. Up in the Bronx, in New York City, little Willie and the Mittleman clan possessed these traits in abundance. Yes, they struggled and worried: How could they keep food on the table, and a roof over their heads? Where should they look for work when, for them and 22,000,000 other Americans, there was no work to be found? Uncertainty filled every day and night. Nevertheless, they found reasons to laugh, and they tried to enjoy every moment of life. They joked, they celebrated, they sang, they danced... and they survived! ON 174th STREET (The World of Willie Mittleman) is a slice of Americana that will have you laughing all the way and admiring the amazing strength of the American spirit.

AUDUBON TERRACE

If you happen to be visiting the High Bridge Aqueduct, you may also consider some of the other notable historic landmarks in the area.  One of those landmarks, the Audubon Terrace, is located on Broadway on the northwestern corner with 155th St.  This is only a short walk from the southern part of the Highbridge Park. Before you go, though, we would strongly recommend that you read up on this delightful venue.

In a recent article in Harlem World Magazine on 1/24/2022 entitled, "The Legendary Audubon Terrace A Cultural Arts Complex Uptown In Washington Heights, 1904" 

Bridges

 

I just came across a book entitled Bridges - A History of the World's Most Famous and Important Spans, by Judith Dupre, with an introductory interview with Frank O. Gehry.  It was published by Black Dog & Levanthal Publishers, NY, 1997, 128 pages. And, while the High Bridge is not mentioned in this book, I found it fascinating in its description of the different types of bridges, including many pictures of them.  However, many of the other bridges of New York City and its environs are included in the book. See my post on The Bridges of Manhattan. The format of the book is particularly well suited for the topic.  The book measures 18 1/4" by 7 7/8" with some photos spanning across two pages (i.e., 36 1/2" wide), making for very dramatic views.  For the the bridge lovers out there, this is a must see.

Another High Bridge Has Been Located

Over a decade ago, on January 15, 2013, to be more precise, we noted on this blog an entry on other bridges with the same name as our High Bridge here in New York.  We have now located yet another bridge with the namesake of our beloved New York High Bridge, but this one is located in Spokane, Washington.  Just like our High Bridge here in New York, the Spokane High Bridge is located at High Bridge Park.  If you are interested in learning more about this bridge and its namesake park, you can find more information here.

Last Call at Coogan's Bar - The Life and Death of a Neighborhood Bar by Jon Michaud

 

The uniquely inspiring story of our beloved neighborhood bar that united the communities it served. Coogan's Bar and Restaurant opened in New York City's Washington Heights in 1985 and closed its doors for good in the pandemic spring of 2020. Sometimes called Uptown City Hall, it became a staple of neighborhood life during its 35 years in operation--a place of safety and a bulwark against prejudice in our multi-ethnic, majority-immigrant community undergoing rapid change. Last Call at Coogan's by Jon Michaud tells the story of this beloved saloon, from the challenging years of the late 80's and early 90's, when Washington Heights suffered from the highest crime rate in the city, to the 2010's, when gentrification pushed out longtime residents and nearly closed Coogan's itself; only a massive community mobilization including local politicians and Lin-Manuel Miranda kept the doors open. This book touches on many serious issues facing the country today: race relations, policing, gentrification, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Along the way, readers will meet the bar's owners and an array of its most colorful regulars, such as an aspiring actor from Kentucky who dreams of bringing a theater company to Washington Heights, a television reporter who loves karaoke, and a Puerto Rican community board manager who falls in love with an Irish cop from the local precinct. At its core, this is the story of one small business in Washington Heights, the people who worked there, the customers they served, and the community they all called home. 

Last Call at Coogan's was much more than just another nonfiction book about a neighborhood bar. It takes the reader through more than three decades of history about Washington Heights and the changes in the area, ranging from gang crime, crack drug use bordering on epidemic, and finishing with a social phenomenon almost as pernicious as those: gentrification. When the bar was on the ropes because its evil landlord, New York Presbyterian Hospital, raised their rent from $7,000 a month to $40,000 a month, the area came to the bars aid, pressuring the hospital, void of any conscience and hard-pressed to explain its not for profit status, to raise the rent to a much lower amount allowing them to survive another three years. Finally, the evil that finally put the last nail in Coogan's coffin was the same evil that did many businesses (and people) in: covid 19. The book is a tribute to the people who both ran Coogan's and those who patronized the bar. All of them were family, the Coogan's family. 

The book was published in June 2023 by St. Martin's Press.