[2] On February 4, 1927, Kentucky congressman Alben William Barkley introduced a bill authorizing the Paducah Board of Trade to construct the bridge.

[4] Paducah's Board of Trade consulted with several bond houses about financing, and the bid from Toledo's Stranahan, Harris & Otis was accepted on March 17, with construction cost then estimated as one to two million dollars.

[6] The bridge was designed by the Kansas City firm of Harrington, Howard and Ashe,[7] and construction was superintended by Chicago's P.W.

As early as October 1928, the State of Kentucky proposed taking over the bridge and—once tolls had paid off its bonds—making passage toll-free.

[16] On October 23, 1929, a river steamer, the Chaperon—which was towing a showboat—struck a submerged concrete block below the bridge which had been created to facilitate construction but was unmarked by light or buoy.

[20] During its first six years of operation, the bridge's average annual gross income from tolls were only about $69,000, and net losses for 1931-1932-1933 alone totaled $457,509.40.

[21] On February 15, 1935, the Kentucky State Highway Commission voted 6–2 to purchase the bridge for $800,000, subject to approval by the Federal court supervising its receivership status.

The Cobb bridge—still the “Brookport bridge” to many locals—is presently challenging to cross, due to its very narrow lanes and steel grate deck.