Some of the earliest bridge tenders' houses in Chicago were fixed on top of the center of the swing bridges which dominated Chicago River bridges in the nineteenth century. Seen here is a swing bridge still in operation in 1952 at Calumet Harbor, 130th Street, west of Torrence. Note that the bridge tender had a view of the action both along the river and on the two parts of the bridge. He could not easily supervise people and vehicles on his bridge, because of the height on which the bridge tender's house perched.

Photographer: Owen Kent
Source: Chicago Historical Society (ICHi-37387)