Steel and Grit: A History of the Lower Hudson Valley and the Bear Mountain Bridge

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Barbara Hansen Cali

Steel and Grit

A History of the Lower Hudson Valley and the Bear Mountain Bridge

Barbara Hansen Cali

$89.99

Paperback

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English

Syracuse University Press
17 November 2025

History of the Americas; Regional & area planning; Bridges; Road & motor vehicles: general interest; Local history

Series: New York State Series

Straddling the Hudson where the river begins to narrow and twist in its journey, Bear Mountain Bridge stands as an elegant memorial to the shifting industrial culture of the United States between the two world wars. Once the longest suspension bridge in the world and meant to serve as a necessary industrial connector while preserving the region’s scenic beauty, the Bear Mountain Bridge was a titanic undertaking that dramatically reshaped the Hudson Valley. Steel and Grit tells the story of the valley at a moment of great change.

Drawing on a trove of archival materials, Cali traces the Bear Mountain Bridge’s construction, from the selection of the land to the role of Gilded Age icons such as E. H. Harriman and financier J. P. Morgan, to the formation of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, and the New Jersey women’s clubs that were pivotal to the fundraising efforts. Steel and Grit examines the importance of Bear Mountain Bridge, both as a symbol of twentieth-century American ingenuity and as an enduring steel symbol of the Hudson Valley.

By: Barbara Hansen Cali
Imprint: Syracuse University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 18mm
ISBN: 9780815611974
ISBN 10: 0815611978
Series: New York State Series
Pages: 277
Publication Date: 17 November 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Introduction 1. You are Cordially Invited to Join Us at the Opening Ceremonies for the Bear Mountain Bridge 2. The Valley 3. Wall Street and Railroads 4. The Right Man for the Job 5. The Original Jersey Girls 6. A Perfect Candidate 7. A Partnership Is Formed 8. Progress and Development 9. The Devil's Horse Race 10. The Chief Engineer 11. Like Father, Like Son 12. We Must Not Forget 13. A Man With a Plan 14. Baird 15. Bear Mountain Hudson River Bridge Company 16. Terry and Tench 17. A Difference of Opinion 18. Construction Begins 19. Innovations 20. The Bond 21. Remembering 22. Update - 1927 Through Present Epilogue

Barbara Hansen Cali is a Brooklyn-born amateur historian and retired management executive in commercial real estate and commercial construction industries. She was vice president of property management for the New Jersey Division of Reckson Associates. She is a member of the Orange County Historical Society and has published several articles in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society and The Westchester Historian.

Reviews for Steel and Grit: A History of the Lower Hudson Valley and the Bear Mountain Bridge

The Bear Mountain Bridge is an iconic part of the landscape of the Hudson River Valley. But its history has been complex—sometimes shrouded in fog like the river itself. The author dusts off the story that has been languishing in cabinets and archives across the Valley to weave together the complex story of what was once the world’s longest single span suspension bridge. The details of this methodically researched book will entice even the most knowledgeable history buff, telling this history from a new and fascinating lens."" - Matthew Shook, chief of Staff, Palisades Park Commission