Copy of the approval for the construction plans and location specifications for the bridge across the Delaware River (Benjamin Franklin Bridge), signed by Harry Taylor, Acting Chief of Engineers, on September 21, 1921, and subsequently by Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright, Acting Secretary of War, on September 26, 1921.
Map of the Delaware River showing the proposed location of the bridge connecting Philadelphia and Camden (Benjamin Franklin Bridge). Most of the map's detail is on the Camden side of the river. According to the imprint in the lower right corner, the map was published in Washington, DC, in September 1916, by the US Coast and Geodetic Survey.
Rectangular button with an artist sketch of Downtown Camden and the Ben Franklin Bridge with the Phialdelphia skyline in the background the the word "Rutgers Cadmen" in the upper right hand corner.
Memo discussing the costs of carrying traffic over increased height, pertinent to the construction plans for the bridge over the Delaware River (Benjamin Franklin Bridge).
Memo discussing the increased price and length of the bridge for each additional foot of clearance. The memo does not list a date, but is presumed to be written circa 1920.
Letter discussing the requirements of bridge clearance for naval vessels, pertinent to the construction plans for the bridge over the Delaware River (Benjamin Franklin Bridge).
Rendering of an early 19th-century proposed plan for a bridge that would span part of the Delaware River from Camden to Windmill Island, opposite Philadelphia (Windmill Island was removed via dredging in the 1890s and no longer exists). Formally proposed in 1818, this bridge was never actually built. Another century passed before work on a bridge connecting Camden and Philadelphia actually started.
This rendering may have been originally created as early as 1813, according to the information published by the Free Library of Philadelphia, where a copy of this rendering appears in the Castner Scrapbook.
Memo discussing the heights of various sailing vessels entering the Port of Philadelphia. The memo advocates for capping the height of the proposed bridge over the Delaware River (Benjamin Franklin Bridge) at 135 feet and presents reasons why it would be a mistake to increase the bridge height to accommodate outdated tall sailing ships.