Notable people · Science · Engineer
John A. Roebling
Prussian-born engineer and wire-rope maker who designed the Cincinnati-Covington Suspension Bridge over the Ohio River. He died in New York City in 1869 of tetanus after a ferry accident while surveying the Brooklyn Bridge site.
At a glance
- Born
- 1806-06-12
- Died
- 1869-07-22
- Education
- Bauakademie, Berlin, engineering and architecture
- Known as
- Science, Engineer
- Organizations
- Roebling wire rope
Life story
John Roebling was born in Muhlhausen, Prussia, in 1806, studied at the Berlin Bauakademie and worked on Prussian roads. He came to America in 1831 and farmed in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, before returning to engineering in 1837.
He pioneered wire rope and suspension bridges, including the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge (1854) and the Cincinnati-Covington Bridge (1866).
He designed the Brooklyn Bridge, but a ferry crushed his foot on June 28, 1869, while he surveyed the site, and he died of tetanus on July 22.
His son Washington and daughter-in-law Emily finished the bridge in 1883. The Roebling company later supplied cables for the Golden Gate Bridge. He is buried in Trenton, New Jersey.
Timeline
- 1806-06-12: Born in Muhlhausen, Prussia (Muhlhausen, Prussia) source
- 1831: Emigrates to America (Pennsylvania) source
- 1837: Returns to engineering (Saxonburg, PA) source
- 1854: Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge (Niagara Falls, NY) source
- 1866: Cincinnati-Covington Suspension Bridge opens (Cincinnati, OH) source
- 1869-06-28: Foot crushed by a ferry (New York, NY) source
- 1869-07-22: Dies of tetanus (New York, NY) source
What John is known for
- Designed the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, Cincinnati-Covington (main span 1,057 ft, longest in the world when finished)
- Cincinnati-Covington Bridge (1866)
- Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge (1854)
- Brooklyn Bridge design
Inventions and firsts
- John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge (1866-1867)
Honors and things named for them
- Bridge in Cincinnati carries his name
Family
- son: Washington Roebling
- daughter-in-law: Emily Roebling
Places in Ohio to see
- John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge (park)
Freedom Way, Cincinnati, Hamilton County ZIP 45202 · Cincinnati · Hamilton County
Ohio places
Where John A. Roebling was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Worked: Cincinnati, Hamilton County (John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, Ohio River at Cincinnati (Ohio landing at Freedom Way)) ZIP 45202 · Cincinnati · Hamilton County
Myths and corrections
- Wikipedia gives 1866 for the bridge's opening to pedestrians and 1867 for its completion, so sources differ on which date counts as the opening.
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- John A. Roebling (Wikipedia) born Muhlhausen, Prussia 1806-06-12; died NYC 1869-07-22; buried Riverview Cemetery, Trenton NJ; Cincinnati bridge, 1,057 ft main span, completed 1867