On May 24, 1883, thousands of people gathered to celebrate. The Brooklyn Bridge was finally open. It had taken fourteen years to build. The bridge spanned the East River and connected Manhattan to Brooklyn. At the time, these were two separate cities. Before the bridge, people had to take a ferry across the water. The man who designed the bridge was John Roebling. Sadly, he died before work even began. His son Washington took over. Then Washington got sick from working underwater in special chambers called caissons. His wife Emily stepped in and supervised the project for over ten years. The bridge used strong steel cables, which was a brand new idea. It was the longest suspension bridge in the whole world. On opening day, over 150,000 excited people crossed it. President Chester Arthur walked across it too. The Brooklyn Bridge proved that bold ideas could change a city forever.