Bridging the Gate — the Beginning

In the early 1900s, San Francisco grew rapidly, but the mile-wide Golden Gate Strait limited access and development to the north, making travel to Marin County and the Redwood Empire beyond dependent on a lengthy ferryboat trip. In 1923, popular support for a bridge across the strait united behind the slogan “Bridge the Gate,” and supporters persuaded the California state legislature to create the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District to finance, build, and operate the bridge. Incorporated in 1928, the district included San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, and Del Norte counties, along with parts of Napa and Mendocino. Joseph B. Strauss drove the ambition to build a bridge over the strait and overcame many obstacles to secure official approvals and public backing despite opposition from ferry operators, conservationists, and some engineers. He assembled and directed a team of engineers, architects, geologists, and construction workers that designed and built a bridge whose longest span set a world record and helped unite a growing metropolis. In November 1930, despite the hardships of the Great Depression, district voters approved $35 million in bonds, allowing construction to begin.

San Francisco, California · United States