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The Lower Trenton Bridge, full name: Lower Trenton Toll Supported Bridge, is a rather mundane bridge save for the huge, and hugely catty-sounding, slogan on its side.
More commonly known as the “Trenton Makes” Bridge, this bridge crosses the Delaware River to connect New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but despite its name, no toll is collected on the bridge. It is the southernmost free crossing of the Delaware River. When it opened to traffic in 1806, the bridge was the first to cross the Delaware, and it was made mostly of wood. The masonry of the substructure is original, and dates back to 1804. Before the bridge was even put in place, the Delaware had been crossed in this general location for many years. In fact, Washington’s famous Crossing of the Delaware was also somewhere near there. The current bridge is 1,022 feet in length and is a five-span design from 1928. The bridge was the first bridge open to automobiles for interstate traffic.
In 1935, the words “TRENTON MAKES THE WORLD TAKES” (the Trenton slogan) were installed in big letters on the south-facing side of the bridge. The original slogan for Trenton was “The World Takes, Trenton Makes,” thought up by S. Roy Heath in 1910. At the time the city adopted the slogan, Trenton was a major manufacturing center for china, rubber, wire rope, and cigars.
The message is clearly visible when riding the train between Philadelphia and New York City, letting the world know that old Trenton would like a little respect.
Submitted by Atlas Obscura contributor lex.
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