Today in Wheeling History: May 20--A rededication ceremony attended by 300 people was held for the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, honoring John A. Roebling as the bridge's rebuilder and designating the 100-year-old structure as a national monument, despite historical inaccuracies regarding Roebling's role in the bridge's rebuilding after its 1854 collapse (1956).
On May 20, 1956, a rededication ceremony was held for the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, honoring John A. Roebling as the 1854 rebuilder and designating the 100-year-old structure as a national monument. The ceremony was attended by some 300 people who crowded into the area where the event took place. Among the distinguished guests was Dr. David B. Steinman, a consulting engineer and one of the world's foremost authorities on suspension bridges. During the ceremony, a dedicatory plaque was unveiled by Ferdinand Roebling III, great-grandson of John A. Roebling. However, this event sparked controversy years later due to the historical inaccuracies it perpetuated. While Roebling's principles influenced the bridge's later improvements, he was not the original designer, builder, or rebuilder of the bridge after its collapse.
The Wheeling Suspension Bridge was initially designed and constructed by Charles Ellet Jr., completing it in 1849. On May 17, 1854, the bridge collapsed due to a violent windstorm, causing cables to break and gyrate. Immediately after the collapse, Ellet and Captain William H. McComas worked together to salvage much of the bridge and rebuild it on a one-way traffic basis. The temporary span was completed by July 26, 1854, and continued to serve until 1859.
In 1860, McComas was called upon to reconstruct the bridge as a two-lane span, implementing some of Roebling's principles in the process. Further improvements and modifications were made by Washington Roebling, son of John A. Roebling, and Wilhelm Hildenbrand in 1886, enhancing the bridge's stability and appearance.
Just prior to the 1956 rededication ceremony, the bridge underwent significant improvements. The deck was completely rebuilt, with the road being widened from 16.25 feet to 20 feet and the sidewalks correspondingly narrowed. The road and sidewalk were reconstructed with an open steel grating that reduced wind resistance and rested on lightened steel floor beams.
The misrepresentation of John A. Roebling as the bridge's primary builder and rebuilder after its collapse led to a distortion of the bridge's true history, diminishing the recognition of Charles Ellet Jr.'s pioneering work in its original design and construction, as well as his and William McComas's roles in its reconstruction after the 1854 collapse.
Years later, F.W. Roebling III, who was present at the 1956 ceremony, was informed by Blair Birdsall, chief engineer and general manager of the Roebling Bridge Division, about the true sequence of events surrounding the bridge's reconstruction. Birdsall wrote a letter in 1969 explaining the understandable error after learning about the actual rebuilding process from the bridge company's minutes.
To learn more: (https://tinyurl.com/3w5jvf5r) (https://tinyurl.com/bdhbsxd4) (https://tinyurl.com/4t94esmp) (https://tinyurl.com/2m8kzb58) (https://tinyurl.com/449b3c6d) (https://tinyurl.com/2jhne4bf) (https://tinyurl.com/yzyempsr) (https://tinyurl.com/ycyaw9cc) (https://tinyurl.com/4wh5psr2) (https://tinyurl.com/49ckduw2) (https://tinyurl.com/bd86javt) (https://tinyurl.com/2p85nyw5) (https://tinyurl.com/39tw6hje)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Wheeling News-Register, Wikimedia Commons, The Clio
On May 20, 1956, a rededication ceremony was held for the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, honoring John A. Roebling as the 1854 rebuilder and designating the 100-year-old structure as a national monument. The ceremony was attended by some 300 people who crowded into the area where the event took place. Among the distinguished guests was Dr. David B. Steinman, a consulting engineer and one of the world's foremost authorities on suspension bridges. During the ceremony, a dedicatory plaque was unveiled by Ferdinand Roebling III, great-grandson of John A. Roebling. However, this event sparked controversy years later due to the historical inaccuracies it perpetuated. While Roebling's principles influenced the bridge's later improvements, he was not the original designer, builder, or rebuilder of the bridge after its collapse.
The Wheeling Suspension Bridge was initially designed and constructed by Charles Ellet Jr., completing it in 1849. On May 17, 1854, the bridge collapsed due to a violent windstorm, causing cables to break and gyrate. Immediately after the collapse, Ellet and Captain William H. McComas worked together to salvage much of the bridge and rebuild it on a one-way traffic basis. The temporary span was completed by July 26, 1854, and continued to serve until 1859.
In 1860, McComas was called upon to reconstruct the bridge as a two-lane span, implementing some of Roebling's principles in the process. Further improvements and modifications were made by Washington Roebling, son of John A. Roebling, and Wilhelm Hildenbrand in 1886, enhancing the bridge's stability and appearance.
Just prior to the 1956 rededication ceremony, the bridge underwent significant improvements. The deck was completely rebuilt, with the road being widened from 16.25 feet to 20 feet and the sidewalks correspondingly narrowed. The road and sidewalk were reconstructed with an open steel grating that reduced wind resistance and rested on lightened steel floor beams.
The misrepresentation of John A. Roebling as the bridge's primary builder and rebuilder after its collapse led to a distortion of the bridge's true history, diminishing the recognition of Charles Ellet Jr.'s pioneering work in its original design and construction, as well as his and William McComas's roles in its reconstruction after the 1854 collapse.
Years later, F.W. Roebling III, who was present at the 1956 ceremony, was informed by Blair Birdsall, chief engineer and general manager of the Roebling Bridge Division, about the true sequence of events surrounding the bridge's reconstruction. Birdsall wrote a letter in 1969 explaining the understandable error after learning about the actual rebuilding process from the bridge company's minutes.
To learn more: (https://tinyurl.com/3w5jvf5r) (https://tinyurl.com/bdhbsxd4) (https://tinyurl.com/4t94esmp) (https://tinyurl.com/2m8kzb58) (https://tinyurl.com/449b3c6d) (https://tinyurl.com/2jhne4bf) (https://tinyurl.com/yzyempsr) (https://tinyurl.com/ycyaw9cc) (https://tinyurl.com/4wh5psr2) (https://tinyurl.com/49ckduw2) (https://tinyurl.com/bd86javt) (https://tinyurl.com/2p85nyw5) (https://tinyurl.com/39tw6hje)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Wheeling News-Register, Wikimedia Commons, The Clio
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