Brooklyn Bridge
... On May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was officially opened to the people of New York. This historic day was officially named The People’s Day in honor of the bridge. When it opened in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was considered the eighth wonder of the world. At that time, it was the longest bridge ever to span a river, with a main suspension at 1,595 feet and an overall length of 6,775 feet. ... The opening ceremonies served the purpose of establishing the bridge in the mindset of the people. It was proclaimed, “On this day, the Brooklyn Bridge was assigned its place within the popular conception of American life” (Trachtenberg, 117,118). ... Arthur and New York Governor Grover Cleveland were in attendance on this glorious day, giving speeches and introducing the bridge to the city. ... There was an escort for President Arthur from his hotel to the bridge. Merchants filled their storefronts and windows with banners, signs and replicas of the bridge. ... The atmosphere could be described as patriotic, with vendors selling small American flags and miniature replicas of the new bridge. Including myself, over 150,000 people came to New York City to observe the formal opening of the Brooklyn Bridge. ... Surprisingly, there was little mention of the bridge’s importance to the problem of urban transportation. ... Each invitation had a very high-class appearance, including a descriptive drawing of the bridge. It included all the names of the committees that were involved in the building of the bridge. ... The opening of the bridge was formal and well planned. ... Box offices on the Brooklyn side sold toll tickets starting at 11:20 p. ... Manhattan and Brooklyn businesses closed and bells tolled around town at noon.