Rudolph Modrzejewska was born in Bochnia, Poland, then known as Galicia, Austrian Empire, on January 27, 1861, to Gustav Sinnmayer Modrzejewski and actress Helena Opid Modrzejewska.
Bochnia, Poland is the home of the Bochnia Salt Mine, one of the oldest salt mines in the world and the oldest one in Europe. The mine was established between the 12th and 13th centuries after salt, then worth as much or more than gold, was discovered. The mine is now open to sightseers. But I digress...
In 1865, Helena Opid left Gustav Sinnmayer, and in 1868 she married "Count" Bozenty Chlapowski. In July 1876, they emigrated to America, where, as a matter of convenience, the boy's mother altered her name to Helena Modjeska and her son's name to Ralph Modjeski.
Everyone in the United States has seen at least pictures of Ralph Modjeski's work and many of them have actually stood on or ridden across them. Name not ringing a bell yet?
In 1893, in Chicago, Modjeski opened his design office, which still exists as "Modjeski & Masters," after it was joined in 1924 by Frank M. Masters.
Modjeski's first project as chief engineer was a railroad bridge called Government Bridge (1896), across the Mississippi River at Rock Island, Illinois. This bridge was built by the Phoenix Bridge Company of Phoenixville, PA.
He was the Chief Engineer of the following:
Thebes Railroad Bridge, across the Mississipi River - (1905)
McKinley Bridge, Saint Louis, MO - (1910)
Broadway Railroad Bridge, Portland, OR, across the Willamette River - (1913)
Harahan Railroad Bridge, across the Mississipi River - (1916)
Metropolis Bridge, built for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, crosses the Ohio River - (1917)
Mears Memorial Bridge, Alaska - (1923)
Mid-Hudson Bridge aka Franklin Delano Roosevelt Mid-Hudson Bridge (1930)
Benjamin Franklin Bridge, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Camden, New Jersey - (1926) (Photo source)
Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Palmyra, New Jersey - (1929) (Photo source)
Huey P. Long Bridge, New Orleans, Louisiana - (1935)
San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge - (1936)
Blue Water Bridge, Port Huron, Michigan and Point Edward, Ontario - (1938)
...and Consulting Engineer on:
Manhattan Bridge - (1909)
Market Street Bridge, Harrisburg - (1926)
Ambassador Bridge, Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario - (1929)
One of his protégés, Joseph B. Strauss, was the designer of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.
Modjeski & Masters was responsible for designing many of the bridges for the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The firm has over a dozen large bridge projects underway today.
Ralph died June 26, 1940, in Los Angeles, California.
17 comments:
can you say... Modrzejewska 5 times really fast!!!
Imagine to be able to add such accomplishments to your credits! We view such amazing accomplishments daily and never to stop to think about the person behind them. I found it interesting how a person's last name was changed depending on whether they were male or female.
As always, you have edjumacated me! Huge hugs!
Very interesting! :)
wow...who knew?...
did you know the Waco expansion bridge was made by the same guy that build the Brooklyn bridge?
None in Minnesota or the upper midwest, eh? The most interesting thing to me was that his mother was an actress, his father was a Count, and somehow he became an engineer designing bridges? Great post, Iggy! :)
Really cool post. His work lives on and on, doesn't it? (i can't begin to pronounce that name yet)
I've been across the Benjamin Franklin Bridge quite a few times. It amazed me the first time we drove across in 1976, and it amazed me just the same when we drove across the last time in 1996.
And who knows...I might have been across that bridge in Saint Louis in 2009 during that unplanned sight-seeing trip. :\
LOL Deanna!! Yep, Iggy is edjumacating us all!!!!
I wasn't planning on being smart or thinking today and there you go teaching me something.
Wow that is just amazing and what a wonderful little history lesson to read thanks so much Iggy HUGS
I always wondered where all those people with last names ending in SKI originated from. If they originated from just one country or a whole region.
I don't think I've had the pleasure of crossing any of Rudolph/Ralph's bridges.
I had no idea and I so love knowing these things. I live very close to both of these bridges. Now I can give my grand kids the history (they think I am so smart).
The Broadway Bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, U.S. It was the first bascule bridge built in Portland and the longest in the world at the time of its completion.[1] It is the longest Rall-type bascule bridge still in existence.
according to wikpedia
I've seen it many times... but didn't know the history. hadn't really thought about it!
this made me think of bridges. The longest bridge I've been on is the Astoria bridge that links WA and OR. It is about 4 miles long. How long is the San Francisco bridge? Hmm...
Amazing man--what a gift to all of us.
He was responsible for all that??
That is awe-inspiring.
How are you doing, friend?
I've driven on the San Fran/Oakland Bay Bridge. :) Go Raiders!!
(was this not a post about sports??)
You write such interesting things! I believe the Huey P Long bridge is still standing after Hurricane Katrina! Years ago everything was built with pride. It is sad today how much has changed. Nothing is built to last today. Anne
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