(Update: this has been rewritten to sort the photos by bridge. The original version is here.)
There were five bridges at this site
1865-1871 Wood Swing Bridge
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| Boffie Fischer Kelly posted I found this picture online in 2011. I don't have much information on it other than it was Chicago about 1870. I know it is a little later than this group is targeting but I thought it was a neat picture. Bobbie Fischer Kelly So by the article above [Historic Bridges], the picture I posted was built in 1864 and destroyed by fire in 1871.
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| Bridges Now and Then posted Chicago's State Street Bridge #1, 1868. (Chicagology) Original Chicago posted State St. Bridge, before the Great Fire. Chicago Hist. Soc. Christopher N. Kaufmann: https://chicagology.com/?s=Swing+bridges Whitney Elam Hill posted |
William Shapotkin posted two photos with the comment: "Bridge over untroubled waters -- here are two pix of the opening of the rebuilt State St bridge over the Chicago River. View of open bridge looks N/W. View of closed bridge looks N/E. These two pix were taken May 28, 1949. Earl Clark Collection."
Dennis DeBruler Back when there was still some industry north of the river. The building on the right with the Coca-Cola advertising was a Kraft plant. (https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../waker-drive...) I don't know what the white building on the left was.
Dennis DeBruler Back when there was still some industry north of the river. The building on the right with the Coca-Cola advertising was a Kraft plant. (https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../waker-drive...) I don't know what the white building on the left was.
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| Richard Pitchford posted Looking north across the State St. bridge, 1870/now, Chicago [The arch truss 1870 swing bridge reminds me of the old Rush Street Bridge.] |
1872-1887 Iron Swing Bridge
No photos1887-1901 Steel Swing Bridge
The steel swing bridge that had just been removed from here is similar to the Dearborn Bridge in the background. |
| MWRD posted Demolition of the south abutment of the State Street bridge on the Chicago River on January 14, 1902. MWRD posted with the same comment |
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| MWRD posted on Nov 13, 2022 A view to the east showing demolition work on the south abutment of a bridge at State Street over the Chicago River on February 27, 1902. |
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| Bridges Now and Then posted "A northeasterly view of the flooded south cofferdam for construction of the State Street Bridge over the Chicago River on April 14, 1902. The cofferdam was flooded due to an overnight leak and resulted in a two-week delay of work. The bridge was completed in 1903 and was replaced by the current, existing bridge in 1949." (Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago) |
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| MWRD posted on Nov 25, 2022 A view to the northeast showing construction of a bridge at State Street over the Chicago River on June 2, 1902. |
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| MWRD posted on Mar 13, 2023 A view of the counter-weight recess for the south leaf of the State Street bridge over the Chicago River, looking west, on August 25, 1902, with the Dearborn Street bridge visible in the background. The bridge was completed in 1903 and was later replaced with the current bridge in 1949. |
I don't think this is a State Street Bridge. The trusses are too flat and low for the swing bridges.
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Sheila Kirby posted
Crossing the State Street Bridge
1893 Chicago by Jay Birlic
[This would be a predecessor swing bridge. How do we determine if we are looking south or north?]
ChicagoLoopBridges also posted this photo with the comment:
The State St bridge seen in this photo was a swing bridge and replaced a similar bridge destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. There has been a bridge in this location since 1864.Vanished Chicago posted Chicago Worlds Fair 1893 State Street bridge | gaswizard | Flickr |
1903-1939 Scherzer Rolling Lift
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| Ron Schultz shared Historic Chicago posted Chicago - State Street Bridge (1905) David Read The ship is the Pere Marquette 18, a car ferry working out of Ludington MI temporarily as a tour boat during the summer of 1910. Supposedly, this photo was taken on Labor Day 1910 just at the end of its season. A few days later, the PM 18 sank in Lake Michigan taking 29 crew and passengers. Some speculate the boat hit a dock hard during the touring season and broke a seam above water line. When fully loaded with railway cars a few days later, the seam was pushed below waterline causing the ship to sink near Sheboygan. The wreck has not been found yet. Betty N Bruce Burkhardt Something wrong the state street bridge was not built until 1949 . Dennis DeBruler This would have been the third bridge at this location. It was a Scherzer rolling-lift bridge that was here from 1903-1939. [Patrick McBriarty, <and I included the post link below>] Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted a slightly different exposure History's Mirror posted State Street Bridge, Chicago. (1905) In 1905, the State Street Bridge was a vital connection across the Chicago River, linking the bustling areas of the Loop with the North Side. The bridge's design was a feat of engineering at the time, supporting the growing flow of pedestrian and streetcar traffic in the rapidly expanding city. State Street itself was already famous for its commercial importance, and the bridge provided a scenic yet practical route over the river. Surrounded by early skyscrapers and warehouses, this bridge symbolized the industrious spirit of Chicago as it continued its upward climb in the early 20th century. |
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| MWRD posted Boats and bridges on July 2, 1910, looking west towards the lifted State Street and Dearborn Street bridges, which were both built by the Sanitary District of Chicago (now MWRD). |
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| Brendon Baillod posted Here's a nice Chicago view that doesn't come up often. This is the package freighter Delaware, built 1905 at Ecorse, Michigan. This hand-colored, divided back postcard dates from about 1910 and was used postally in 1911. It shows the 360 ft. Delaware being towed under the State Street bridge by the old wooden tug T. T. Morford, near the end of the Morford's career. In the background, the Graham & Morton Line building is visible with an unidentified G&M steamer at the dock. The Delaware had a long career, being sold off Lakes after WWII under different names before being scrapped in Spain in 1961. The 76 ft. Morford was the victim of a boiler explosion at Chicago in 1895 that killed three of her crew. She was declared a total loss, but was rebuilt and given a new official number, although she kept her old name. The Morford was then operated by the Great Lakes Towing Company until 1915 when they dismantled her. For more on these vessels see: and Brendon Baillod posted |
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| Patrick McBriarty posted The 3rd State Street Bridge (1903-1939) was a Scherzer rolling-lift design. This postcard image is from 1909 courtesy of Jeff Baker. |
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| Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted An image from a glass negative of the passenger ship United States passing under the State Street drawbridge across the Chicago River in Chicago, Ill. circa 1900-1915 (Library of Congress – Detroit Publishing Co. Collection). An analysis of a high-resolution copy of the photograph shows the vessel was being operated by the Michigan City-Chicago Line. Based on the vessel’s history (see below), the photograph is circa 1909-1915. [The description continues to provide a detailed history of the ship.] |
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| MWRD posted The south cofferdam during construction of a bridge at State Street on the Chicago River on June 17, 1902. This bridge would be completed in 1903 and would be later replaced by the current bridge in 1949. |
MWRD posted two photos with the comment:
Historical photos: A view to the north from the Chicago River showing construction of a bridge at State Street on June 2, 1902. The bridge was completed in 1903 and replaced with the current bridge in 1949. We also provided a close up view of the Wizard of Oz advertisement.
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| MWRD posted A view to the north towards the State Street bridge over the Chicago River in Chicago on May 14, 1903. |
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| MWRD posted Historical photo of the week: Boats and bridges on the Chicago River on July 2, 1910, looking west towards the lifted State St and Dearborn St bridges, which were both built by the Sanitary District of Chicago (now MWRD). |
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| MWRD posted A northeasterly view of the State Street Bridge over the Chicago River on March 1, 1903. Dennis DeBruler I knew C&NW had a State Street Yard along the river, but I did not know they used to have a grain elevator here. http://clearinghouse.isgs.illinois.edu/.../0bwq08007.jpg |
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| MWRD posted A view to the north on the State Street bridge over the Chicago River on May 14, 1903. |
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| Christine Prairie commented on MWRD's post |
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| Glen Miller posted The State Street bridge opens to let a boat pass in 1913 |
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| Ron Schultz shared |
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| Patrick McBriarty posted The 3rd State Street Bridge (1903-1939) was a Scherzer rolling-lift design. This postcard image is from 1909 courtesy of Jeff Baker. |
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| MWRD posted A northeasterly view of the flooded south cofferdam for construction of the State Street Bridge over the Chicago River on April 14, 1902. The cofferdam was flooded due to an overnight leak and resulted in a two-week delay of work. The bridge was completed in 1903 and was replaced by the current, existing bridge in 1949. [This is almost a couple of decades before the Wrigley Building was built. The Rush Street Bridge is in the background. Is that the Kraft Plant just beyond the grain elevator?] BDBRCPC posted Chicago River at State Street - 1902 Raymond Kunst shared |
MWRD posted two photos with the comment:
Historical photos: A view to the north from the Chicago River showing construction of a bridge at State Street on June 2, 1902. The bridge was completed in 1903 and replaced with the current bridge in 1949. We also provided a close up view of the Wizard of Oz advertisement.
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| MWRD posted on Jan 20, 2023 A northeasterly view of the State Street bridge over the Chicago River on March 1, 1903. |
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| MWRD posted on Oct 18, 2022 A view to the north on the State Street bridge over the Chicago River in Chicago, Illinois, on May 14, 1903. |
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| Jacob Sieg posted Here's a look back on some of the marvelous buildings and structures of Chicago: The Carbide and Carbon Building, Pure Oil Building, Mather Tower, Tribune Tower, Wrigley Building, and the Wabash Avenue Bridge and Drive. Cindy Greenwald: The Wabash Avenue Bridge was built in 1930. The State Street Bridge was begun in 1939 and finished in 1949, due to WWII. This image is probably from the early 30s. Look at the body styling of the cars parked on Wacker Drive. Still squared-off and boxy, and not curvy as they'd have been later on. |
1949 Chicago Trunnion Bascule
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| Street View |
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| Eric J. Nordstrom posted original copelin commercial photographic print of chicago's state street bridge (1939-1949) taken shortly after it was completed in 1949. courtesy of bldg. 51 archive. |
William Shapotkin posted two photos with the comment: "Bridge over untroubled waters -- here are two pix of the opening of the rebuilt State St bridge over the Chicago River. View of open bridge looks N/W. View of closed bridge looks N/E. These two pix were taken May 28, 1949. Earl Clark Collection."
Dennis DeBruler Back when there was still some industry north of the river. The building on the right with the Coca-Cola advertising was a Kraft plant. (https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../waker-drive...) I don't know what the white building on the left was.
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| Chet Lunsford commented on Richard's post Charles Cushman's photo of the current bridge during construction, "Sep. 26, 1948. New State St. bridge and Lincoln Tower" [Lincoln Tower??? That is where the Wrigley Building should be.] |
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| Barry Butler Photography posted The State Street Bridge celebrates 74 years today. [With Marina City on the left.] |
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| Rob DeLand posted New State St. bridge, Sep. 14, 1948 (Charles W. Cushman Photograph Collection, Indiana University Archives) |
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| Sheila Mcsurley posted Chicago River 1973 |
William Shapotkin posted two photos with the comment: "Bridge over untroubled waters -- here are two pix of the opening of the rebuilt State St bridge over the Chicago River. View of open bridge looks N/W. View of closed bridge looks N/E. These two pix were taken May 28, 1949. Earl Clark Collection."
Dennis DeBruler Back when there was still some industry north of the river. The building on the right with the Coca-Cola advertising was a Kraft plant. (https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../waker-drive...) I don't know what the white building on the left was.
Dennis DeBruler Back when there was still some industry north of the river. The building on the right with the Coca-Cola advertising was a Kraft plant. (https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../waker-drive...) I don't know what the white building on the left was.
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| Raymond Kunst posted Bataan-Corregidor Memorial Bridge (State Street Bridge) — Contractor: Overland Construction Company of Chicago, Illinois (1949). The crossing at North State Street is one of the longest continuous crossings (more than 176 years). The first crossing, a ferry, was established in the 1830's. The first bridge, an iron reinforced wooden swing bridge, was built in 1864. The Great Fire of 1871 destroyed the bridge, and a new swing bridge was opened in 1872. A Scherzer rolling lift bascule bridge was built here in 1903. The 1903 bridge was in service until 1939 when the subway tunnels (Red Line) were started. Construction of the current bridge was delayed by subway construction and material shortages in WW II. Photo taken from the LondonHouse rooftop. [That is the Wabash Street Bridge in the foreground.] Raymond Kunst shared |
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