Beautifully engraved certificate from the Delaware Port Authority issued in 1974. This historic document was printed by the American Banknote Company and has an ornate border around it with a vignette of the Ben Franklin Bridge. This item has the printed signatures of the Authorized Officer and is over 27 years old.
Certificate Vignette The Delaware River Port Authority of Pennsylvania and New Jersey is a regional transportation and economic development agency serving the people of Southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. DRPA owns and operates the Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman, Commodore Barry and Betsy Ross bridges. Delaware River Port Authority -- 80 Years of Progress 1818 -- Residents of the Delaware Valley first began discussing the idea of building a bridge across the Delaware River. Conjuring up the best resources of 19th Century engineering, they envisioned a low structure with a complex array of openings to accommodate both the sailing ships and the horse-drawn vehicles of the day. 1913 -- With the dawn of the motorized era, Philadelphia forms the Penn Memorial Bridge Committee to study the bridge issue. 1916 -- New Jersey Governor James F. Fielder appoints the Delaware River and Tunnel Commission. Philadelphia agrees to jointly fund a bridge feasibility study. 1919 -- Both state legislatures approve creation of the Delaware River Bridge Joint Commission. December 12, 1919 -- The first meeting of the Delaware River Bridge Joint Commission is called to order by its chairman, Pennsylvania Governor William C. Sproul. Among those serving as Pennsylvania commissioners are the commonwealth's auditor general and treasurer and Philadelphia Mayor Thomas B. Smith. The commission's vice chairman is Richard T. Collings, the former mayor of Collingswood, N.J. Collings became known as the "Father of the Delaware River Bridge." The other New Jersey commissioners are members of the state's Interstate Bridge and Tunnel Commission. 1920 -- In one of its first official acts, the commission names Ralph Modjeski as bridge engineer and Leon S. Moisseiff as design engineer. Together they face the task of designing and building the longest suspension bridge in the world at that time. Modjeski proves to be a hands-on, energetic manager who regularly climbs around the construction site despite his advancing years. To the bridge building fraternity, this becomes "Ralph Modjeski's Bridge." 1921 -- President Warren G. Harding signs legislation authorizing construction of the bridge. January 6, 1922 -- Bridge construction begins. Presiding over the ceremony are Pennsylvania Governor William Sproul and New Jersey Governor Edward I. Edwards. 1923 -- The Joint Commission rejects the name "Franklin Bridge" and official designates the structure as the "Delaware River Bridge." July 1, 1926 -- More than 25,000 people attend the official opening ceremony of the Delaware River Bridge. Pennsylvania Governor Gifford Pinchot and New Jersey Governor A. Harry Moore preside. After the ceremony an estimated 100,000 people (including an 87-year-old Civil War veteran in full uniform) walk across the bridge before it opens to vehicular traffic. The following day, President Calvin Coolidge arrives to dedicate the bridge. 1948 -- A study by the Delaware River Joint Bridge Commission recommends the creation of a regional port authority. The goal, according to the study, is to centralized port responsibilities and enhanced port facilities. The study also recommends the construction of a second bridge and a high speed commuter rail line. July 17, 1951 -- Following agreement by Pennsylvania and New Jersey, President Harry S. Truman signs the bill creating the Delaware River Port Authority as the successor agency to the Delaware River Joint Bridge Commission. The legislation gives the new agency the responsibility to "promote" international trade for Delaware River ports. President Truman also signs a companion bill that permits construction of a second Delaware River crossing. 1953 -- Construction begins on the second suspension bridge, this one between South Philadelphia and Gloucester City, N.J. 1955 -- The Delaware River Port Authority designates a special committee to consider names for the two bridges. The committee recommends renaming the "Delaware River Bridge" as the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Also, in recognition of the many years the "Good Gray Poet's" lived in Camden, it recommends naming the second crossing the "Walt Whitman Bridge." That becomes the first major U.S. bridge named for a poet. May 15, 1957 -- New Jersey Governor Robert B. Meyner and Pennsylvania Auditor General Charles C. Smith dedicate and open the Walt Whitman Bridge. Within two decades the bridge will have a major impact on the Delaware Valley, leading to the development of the Philadelphia Food Distribution Center, Veterans Stadium, the Spectrum, the Atlantic City Expressway and New Jersey's Black Horse Pike communities. 1960 -- Planning begins for a high speed rail line between New Jersey and Philadelphia. 1961 -- Planning begins for additional river crossings. The Delaware River Port Authority and other port interests conduct their first overseas trade mission. June 11, 1964 -- Construction begins on the PATCO High-Speed Line that will link Center City Philadelphia with Lindenwold, N.J. June 13, 1964 -- President Lyndon B. Johnson signs legislation extending DRPA jurisdiction into Delaware County, Pa., to permit construction of the Commodore Barry Bridge. 1965 -- New Jersey and Pennsylvania approve plans for construction of the Betsy Ross Bridge. 1966 -- New Jersey and Pennsylvania approve plans for construction of the Commodore Barry Bridge. September 7, 1967 -- The Delaware River Port Authority establishes a subsidiary unit, the Port Authority Transit Corporation, to operate the PATCO High-Speed Line. January 4, 1969 -- The first P
