The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-09-27
Congress Street Bridge


 It is suggested that the time is near It hand when Bridgeport might prof itably, hold a celebration of progress which will typify the growth of the city from earliest days, and be in some sense prophetic of the future of the leading industrial city of New Eng land. This celebration to be based upon a chronological fact in terms of even numbers, should perhaps have taken place in 1900. which marked ex- actly century from the date when tion to the General Assembly and was dn consequence, in 1900, incorporated as the borough of Bridgeport. This charter was the first of all the bor- ough charters granted in Connecticut.
 Not then had the leaders of the com znunity forgotten that the Fundamental law of a place should proceed from it's freemen. Of this charter, Joseph Backus. the lawyer of Newfield who rdrafted, it, wrote: "I say that did of my own mere motion project the borough incorporation and drew the charter and then submitted it to the citizens to obtain its enactment" f But, because it is the event itself
 
 particular date upon which the event happened, it will be 1nimportant that the commemoration of the setting aside of Bridgeport as a separate Jurisdiction follows 110 years after the event, in stead of upon it's exact centennial; for such a large plan as is proposed can hot be executed before 1910 and will require several months of arduouS preparation if the matter is to be con- lducted on a. scale adequate to the oc- o,,d ioio frr. ha Icredit of the 100, 900 souls who will in that year be residents of the city, for 1t is believed that the census which the Federal government will take in 1910 will show a population of this magnitude at least.
 Bridgeport has travelled a far road since the charter of Backus- was sub (rnitted to the electors. for in 1921 the number of people within the borough Limits was but 1,700, and there were ibut 218 dwelling houses, two flouring mills and 23 stores and manufactories Eof all kinds.
 A celebration of progress represent Ang what has occurred in Bridgeport from then until 1910, would be almost |an epitome of the forward movement of the entire world.
 But another circumstance will make the progress celebration conducted in Bridgeport was originally and for long, the village of Newfield. Then also, from it's location upon an import iant river and harbor, it had been known as Pequonnock. and moreover, as suggested by George c. Waldo in his history of Bridgeport, the name of the river was of Indian origin and possessed historic significance. But men are ever prone to have more in mind those things which immediately harbor, and there was the bridge across the river, things of untold con- venience to the men of the early days. So in 8 perfectly natural way the new political organism took the name Bridgeport. The town was born of the water. It was creature of wind borne commerce. Its bridge across the river-harbor made the community accessible to the people of both Fair field and Stratfield.
 Thus the opening of the Congress street bridge, the latest and most mod ern fink between the East and West parts of the city, while not in itself perhaps of great importance as an event may we'll be taken to typify the first bridge and the christening that took place by process of evolution no years ago.
 This first bridge, from which the is derived, was at the head of naviga- tion on the river above the present Berkshire bridge. It antedated the Revolution
 III 1I5I tHo AolIery briuSe WoH, built, from Wall street to Stratford avenue, the funds being raised in part from the proceeds of a lottery. It was called the lower bridge and was re- placed in 1907 by a bridge located at the terminus of Fairfield avenue, as at i present This bridge was a toll bridge, built and conducted by private persons. So also was the bridge built by Willis Stillman and others, which is the East Washington avenue bridge. And so was the first footbridge which was built along the railroad bridge, which had been constructed in 1848.
 The first center bridge, which was about where the present Congress street bridge will be, was built by P. T. Barnum and William H. Noble to open up the East Side for building purposes It, like the other bridges, was a toll bridge and neither man nor vehicle crossed it without paying fare to the owners.
 The first municipal ownership move ment was for the purpose of making these bridges public property, and the Barnum bridge was acquired by the city in 1864, Noble's bridge in the same year, and the lower bridge four years later.
 How important a part these bridges have played in the development of Bridgeport all may know. But it is to it's harbor that Bridgeport owcss it's firth and growth, because of the sim pie law that commerce and manufac- cation upon roadstead in great waterway, which confers enormous benefits in the way of a cheap and 1 easy means of transportation. z It will naturally follow therefore that ----------