at ▁past ure , ▁far ms , ▁and ▁cl ay ▁bottom ▁land . ▁The ▁nearest ▁street car ▁line ▁was ▁more ▁than ▁ ▁away , ▁although ▁area ▁street car ▁companies ▁were ▁hoping ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁rail ▁line ▁over ▁the ▁new ▁Pennsylvania ▁Avenue ▁Bridge ▁to ▁serve ▁the ▁area . ▁ ▁History ▁No ▁bridge ▁connected ▁the ▁east ▁and ▁west ▁ends ▁of ▁Pennsylvania ▁Avenue ▁SE ▁over ▁the ▁An ac ost ia ▁River ▁between ▁ 1 8 4 5 ▁and ▁ 1 8 9 0 . ▁ ▁Ben ning ▁Bridge , ▁ere cted ▁up stream ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 5 , ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁Street ▁Br id ges , ▁built ▁down stream ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 0 , ▁also ▁carried ▁veh icular ▁and ▁foot ▁traffic ▁over ▁the ▁An cost ia . ▁But ▁the ▁Union town ▁" sub urb " ▁was ▁pl atted ▁in ▁the ▁An ac ost ia ▁area ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 4 , ▁and ▁development ▁slowly ▁began ▁to ▁turn ▁the ▁agricult ural ▁land ▁into ▁business es ▁and ▁resid ences . ▁The ▁destruction ▁of ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Branch ▁Bridge ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 6 , ▁however , ▁significantly ▁slow ed ▁growth ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁for ▁five ▁dec ades . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁push ▁for ▁a ▁new ▁bridge ▁connecting ▁the ▁two ▁sides ▁of ▁Pennsylvania ▁Avenue ▁occurred ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 0 . ▁The ▁effort ▁was ▁led ▁by ▁John ▁S . ▁Gal la her , ▁an ▁aud itor ▁for ▁the ▁Commission er ▁of ▁P ensions ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Department ▁of ▁the