Photo Album of Bridges by G. W. Philips

{"value":"Through personal acknowledgement, it appears this collection is of engineering construction inspected by G. W. Philips. The Pennsylvania bridges appear to be located along a route outward from Harrisburg toward Erie or Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The bridges named: Hyner Bridge, Irvine Memorial Bridge (Tidioute Bridge), Kettle Creek Bridge, Parade Street Bridge (Erie, PA), Queen's Run Bridge, Ritchey Run Bridge. Some of these bridges are located along what is known as the Bucktail Trail (U.S. Route 120) through Clinton County which was named for the Bucktail Rangers, a Pennsylvania regiment in the Civil War. Originally the Bucktail Trail was known as the Old Sinnemahoning Trail which the Native Americans used to travel between the western branch of the Susquehanna River and the Allegheny River. G. W. Philips is pictured in some of the photographs inspecting construction. Some of the photographs show railroad track realignment (Glen Union) as well as bridge construction. Ten pages of photographs of Pennsylvania bridge construction is of the Hyner Bridge which carried Route 120/105 across the Susquehanna River near Renovo, Pennsylvania, at one time a major railroad town. The Hyner Bridge, a multi-arched concrete bridge, reputed in 1929 to offer a short cut highway route between Philadelphia and Erie was perhaps Mr. Philips largest project possibly performed for the Pennsylvania Department of Highways/Transportation. A chromolithographic postcard of the Hyner Bridge was sent to G. H. Philips in 1930 by "Daddie" (G.W. Philips to his son, "Ham") encouraging a trip to see the bridge. A gelatin postcard to "Friend Philips" of the closing of the arch of the Hell Gate Bridge from Walter J. Parsons in 1915? seems to explain the inclusion of eight pages of construction photographs of the Hell Gate Bridge across the East River in New York City. Mr. Parsons appears to have worked on constructing the Hell Gate Bridge. The Pennsylvania Railroad built the Hell Gate Bridge to facilitate railroad travel to New England. The Hell Gate arch bridge was designed by Gustav Lindenthal as a steel arch 1,017 feet long arch. The whole length of the structure including concrete arch abutments from Long Island to the Bronx is 17,000 feet long. The top of the arch is 280 feet above water. The bridge carried four railroad tracks. It was opened for use in 1917. Henry Kern Photographer of Long Island City took some of the Hell Gate photographs as so acknowledged on the backs of some of the photos. Hell's Gate separates Astoria, Queens from Randalls' (Ward) Island In the East River, New York City.","attr0":"description"}

Full Title
Photo Album of Bridges by G. W. Philips
Contributor(s)
Date Issued
1900 to 1930
Language
English
Form
books
Media type
Date Captured
2025-03-07
Identifier
https://archivesspace.lib.lehigh.edu/repositories/3/resources/467
SC Photo 0018
Note
CopiBook Cobalt HD
600
SC Photo 0018 Photo Album of Bridges by G. W. Philips
Extent
49
30.5 x 25.5 x 2 cm
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