“Pedestrians and horse & buggies coming off of the 155th Street viaduct bridge, New York, 1899." In the foreground, pedestrians walk on the 155th Street Viaduct, over Coogan’s Hollow. In the background are the two spans of the Macombs Dam Bridge: first, a swing bridge over the Harlem River; second a camelback span over railroad tracks on the Bronx side.

First navigated by the Lenape, and then owned by the Dutch, the "Harlaem" River has long been a waterway important to the history of New York. This story highlights some of the structures built over the Harlem to connect Manhattan to the broader world.