From Ohio History Central In the foreground is the Roebling
Suspension Bridge, also known as the NewportBridge, which
connects Covington and Cincinnati. The bridge, which has a
500-foot span between columns, was built in 1867. The Kentucky
General Assembly granted a charter to the founders of the
Covington & Cincinnati Bridge Company in 1846. The company hoped
to build a bridge across the Ohio River that would connect
Covington, Kentucky, with Cincinnati, Ohio. Kentuckians
especially wanted the bridge. Cincinnati was a major metropolis
by the 1850s, and farmers and businessmen in Kentucky hoped to
have an easier time transporting their goods to the city. Many
Ohioans were less enthusiastic. Some whites feared that runaway
slaves would have an easier time escaping their owners if a
bridge was in place. While many white Ohioans opposed slavery,
other whites feared competition from African Americans for jobs.
Ohio farmers residing near Cincinnati also did not want
competition from Kentucky agriculturalists. Othe