Less depressing, though not by a lot, is the question that the Golden Gate poses for America today: Why is it so much harder to get such projects off the ground now than it was in the ’30s?

The Golden Gate Bridge under construction, around 1935. The actual building of the bridge took over four years, with men sometimes perched more than 500 feet above the water in wind or fog.

But evidence of the gate symbol to represent the arsenal was first found for June of 1989. "The gate really has not been an official logo until the granting of this trademark," Owens said.