The Colorado Street Bridge is a rather spectacular bridge that stretches across the Arroyo Seco (which is a season river near Pasadena.) In the 26 years I’ve lived in LA I’ve never crossed it because I’m always on the neighboring Ventura Freeway. But now that I’ve seen this photo, I think I’ll put it on my To Do list. It opened in 1913 and the automobile pictured here is a 1913 Overland, so I’m guessing that’s when this photo was taken. Maybe it’s even one of the first vehicles on the bridge. Oh, and a special shout-out to those streetlamps!
This is how the bridge looked in June 2020. Those streetlamps are still there, but I do wonder if all that unattractive fencing is to prevent jumpers.
Here’s a restored 1912 Overland to feast our eyes upon!
The picture gives a generous view of the width but as I recall when driving across in the 40’s it appeared much narrower and the drop off below was quite impressive
That is why the fencing was installed. Unfortunately, the bridge acquired the nickname of “Suicide Bridge.”
“I want to fly like an eagle, ’til I’m free;
Fly like an eagle ’til the Arroyo catches me.” Ouch!
Yes, it was known as “suicide bridge.” A friend of mine years ago was driving across the bridge when something broke in her steering mechanism, and her car veered straight toward the guardrail. Fortunately, the rail stopped the car. She was so unnerved she never drove on the bridge again.
And none of us would blame her!
I just finished reading A Bright and Guilty Place, an excellent book about Los Angeles in the Twenties and early Thirties by Richard Rayner. In it, he mentions that at the beginning of the Depression one woman threw her baby off the bridge, after which she jumped to her death. One man jumped and, on his way down, shot himself, just to make sure. Hence, the fencing.