220:. Despite these and many other challenges, the bridge was completed several months ahead of schedule. The western portion of the bridge relied on a central 500 feet (150 m)-tall anchorage, 220 feet (67 m) of which is beneath the surface of the water. It is the world's largest pier. The 540 feet (160 m)
241:
to Public Works
Director for the entire state. From the time he became State Highway Engineer in 1928 until he retired as Director of Public Works in 1951, he oversaw tremendous improvements to the California highway system. This included transforming 4,800 miles (7,700 km) of largely rural main
172:
When he was hired as Oregon's first state bridge engineer in 1913, he was an advocate for concrete bridges, but had to overcome considerable opposition from companies who built steel bridges, which had been the principle bridge construction method for many years. In 1914 he completed Oregon's first
114:
in the United States during the 20th century. He was the chief engineer of the San
Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge, which was his most notable design. The American Society of Civil Engineers selected the Bay Bridge as one of the seven modern civil engineering wonders of the United States in 1955. As
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was at the time the largest bore tunnel in the world. Its completion was the realization of dreams first conceived by local citizens in 1850. Upon its completion, it was the longest and at $ 77,600,000, the most expensive bridge ever built. More than 6,500 employees worked on the project.
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in the world. Completed in 1949, it was not fully used until 1953 when a needed interchange was opened. Purcell established
California as a pioneer in metropolitan freeway development and his work anticipated interstate highway design standards by more than 10 years.
267:
Purcell served on presidential commissions and was elected as
President of the American Association of State Highway Officials. In 1937, he was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to a federal Committee on Planning and Design Policies. In 1941 President
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and a number of smaller bridges throughout the state. He established Oregon's first statewide bridge design department. After he left employment with the state of Oregon in 1918, he became a
District Engineer for U.S. Bureau of Public Roads.
148:, one of two children of John and Mary Gillis Purcell. His father died when he was 3, and as he grew up, Purcell developed a fascination with bridges. He was educated in civil engineering at Stanford University (for one semester) and at the
207:
as the
California State Highway Engineer. In 1929, he was appointed technical adviser to the 1929 Hoover-Young San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Commission, which commissioned construction of the 8.25 miles (13.28 km)-long
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area. He returned to the United States as chief engineer for a logging railroad in Oregon. He then supervised the construction of bridges and highways in several states, mostly in the
Pacific Northwest.
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roads to 14,000 miles (23,000 km) of vastly improved rural and urban highways. Included among the 640 miles (1,030 km) of metropolitan freeways he was responsible for constructing was the
289:, referring to the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, commented upon his retirement, "It can be said that if the bridge is a monument to any single individual, that honor should go to Purcell."
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164:, during which he built a steel girder span in Wyoming, his first bridge. He then went to Peru for two years as an engineer for mines in the
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California
Director of Public Works, he oversaw construction of the first freeway in the American West. He also oversaw design of the first
292:
He died at his home in
Sacramento on 7 September 1951 at age 68 after a brief illness, just five weeks after he retired. He was buried at
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where he specialized in bridge design. He married Minnie Pullen in 1914, the daughter of a
Portland, Oregon farmer. They had no children.
792:
216:
as the Chief Engineer responsible for the design and construction of the bridge. During construction, the project was held up by the
276:. He was awarded the prestigious Bartlett Award in 1944 by the American Road Builders Association and the Highway Research Board.
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After graduating in 1906, he worked at a variety of jobs in ten different locations. His first full-time position was with the
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selected him to serve on the National Interregional Highway Committee, whose final report persuaded Congress to authorize the
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127:. He played an instrumental role on the National Interregional Highway Committee which persuaded Congress to authorize the
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paved highway, and three years later he designed and built the innovative 170 feet (52 m)-long concrete arch
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selected the Bay Bridge as one of the seven modern civil engineering wonders of the United States. The
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Purcell continued as California State Highway Engineer through 1942, when he was promoted by Governor
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Most of Purcell's bridge projects are still open to traffic with the exception of those noted below.
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131:. He worked primarily in the public sector on the United States west coast throughout his life.
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212:. When the commission finished its work, Purcell was appointed by Governor
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110:(27 January 1883 – 7 September 1951) was one of the most distinguished
185:. During his tenure, he supervised bridge projects along the
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582:. Nebraska State Education Association. Archived from
636:"Charles Henry Purcell and California's Highways"
769:
232:
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753:. Sacramento. AP. 9 September 1951. p. 32
745:"Tuesday Rites Are Set for Charles H. Purcell"
697:. Bridgehunter.com Historic Bridges of the U.S
689:
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203:In 1928, Purcell was appointed by Governor
495:) State Bridge Engineer – 1929 (replaced)
725:. Sacramento. 8 September 1951. p. 1
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663:. Salem River Crossing. Archived from
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199:Built San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge
638:. American Society of Civil Engineers
620:
549:
475:) Bridge Engineer – 1918 (replaced)
445:) Bridge Engineer – 1915 (replaced)
375:) Bridge Engineer – 1914 (replaced)
281:American Society of Civil Engineers
13:
793:People from Dodge County, Nebraska
633:
509:San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge
299:
14:
804:
210:San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge
100:San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge
489:South Fork Trinity River Bridge
187:Historic Columbia River Highway
737:
709:
598:
525:
150:University of Nebraska-Lincoln
1:
580:"Profile: Charles H. Purcell"
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233:Designed state freeway system
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429:West Multnomah Falls Viaduct
339:East Multnomah Falls Viaduct
194:Professional accomplishments
134:
7:
761:– via Newspapers.com.
733:– via Newspapers.com.
538:American National Biography
503:Monterey County, California
493:Humboldt County, California
483:Siskiyou County, California
140:Personal life and education
10:
809:
717:"C. H. Purcell Dies at 68"
541:. Oxford University Press.
513:Alameda County, California
515:) Chief Engineer – 1936
505:) Highway Engineer – 1932
435:) Bridge Engineer – 1914
425:) Bridge Engineer – 1914
345:) Bridge Engineer – 1914
274:Interstate Highway System
129:Interstate Highway System
94:
86:
78:
68:
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27:
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778:American civil engineers
465:) Bridge Engineer – 1915
463:Multnomah County, Oregon
455:) Bridge Engineer – 1915
453:Multnomah County, Oregon
443:Multnomah County, Oregon
433:Multnomah County, Oregon
415:) Bridge Engineer – 1914
413:Multnomah County, Oregon
405:) Bridge Engineer – 1914
403:Multnomah County, Oregon
395:) Bridge Engineer – 1914
393:Multnomah County, Oregon
385:) Bridge Engineer – 1914
383:Multnomah County, Oregon
365:) Bridge Engineer – 1914
363:Multnomah County, Oregon
355:) Bridge Engineer – 1914
353:Multnomah County, Oregon
343:Multnomah County, Oregon
335:) Bridge Engineer – 1914
333:Multnomah County, Oregon
325:) Bridge Engineer – 1914
315:) Bridge Engineer – 1914
313:Multnomah County, Oregon
309:Bridal Veil Creek Bridge
218:maritime strikes of 1934
606:"Charles Henry Purcell"
373:Columbia County, Oregon
294:East Lawn Memorial Park
73:East Lawn Memorial Park
722:San Francisco Examiner
423:Jackson County, Oregon
379:Multnomah Creek Bridge
359:Latourell Creek Bridge
349:Horsetail Creek Bridge
323:Jackson County, Oregon
279:In November 1955, the
263:Recognition and honors
248:Four Level Interchange
162:Union Pacific Railroad
121:Four Level Interchange
98:Chief engineer of the
608:. UC Berkeley Library
533:"Purcell, Charles H."
473:Marion County, Oregon
419:Steinman Overcrossing
399:Shepperds Dell Bridge
108:Charles Henry Purcell
695:"Charles H. Purcell"
658:"History of Bridges"
469:Center Street Bridge
449:Moffett Creek Bridge
389:Oneonta Creek Bridge
252:downtown Los Angeles
175:Center Street Bridge
146:North Bend, Nebraska
144:Purcell was born in
125:downtown Los Angeles
42:North Bend, Nebraska
544:Subscription needed
479:Shasta River Bridge
459:Tanner Creek Bridge
439:McCord Creek Bridge
409:Stark Street Bridge
499:Bixby Creek Bridge
329:Eagle Creek Bridge
270:Franklin Roosevelt
226:Yerba Buena Island
119:in the world, the
63:, California, U.S.
22:Charles H. Purcell
586:on 21 August 2008
369:Milton Way Bridge
319:Dollarhide Bridge
256:stack interchange
117:stack interchange
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244:Pasadena Freeway
183:Willamette River
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53:7 September 1951
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670:on 27 July 2011
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300:Bridge projects
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112:civil engineers
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38:27 January 1883
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750:The Fresno Bee
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485:) Built – 1928
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166:Cerro de Pasco
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123:just north of
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95:Known for
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90:Civil engineer
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57:(aged 68)
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634:Martin, Jim.
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755:. Retrieved
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699:. Retrieved
672:. Retrieved
665:the original
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640:. Retrieved
610:. Retrieved
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588:. Retrieved
584:the original
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254:, the first
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69:Burial place
55:(1951-09-07)
15:
788:1951 deaths
783:1883 births
757:20 November
729:20 November
701:13 November
674:27 December
642:13 November
612:13 November
590:13 November
239:Earl Warren
205:C. C. Young
79:Nationality
772:Categories
520:References
156:Early work
87:Occupation
61:Sacramento
34:1883-01-27
214:Jim Rolph
181:over the
135:Biography
224:through
82:American
222:tunnel
44:, U.S.
668:(PDF)
661:(PDF)
759:2021
731:2021
703:2011
676:2008
644:2011
614:2011
592:2011
50:Died
28:Born
177:in
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