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'James Finley' (1756 - 1828), also known as 'Judge James Finley', is widely recognised as the the first designer and builder of the modern suspension bridge.
His Jacob's Creek Bridge, built in 1801 and demolished in 1833, was an early example of a suspension bridge using wrought iron chains. It connected Uniontown to Greensburg, Pennsylvania, USA, spanning 21 metres (70 feet).
Other bridges by Finley or to his patent include:

★ Potomac River, 1807, 39 metre span

★ Schuylkill Falls, Philadelphia, 1809, two 47 metre spans, collapsed 1811 under a herd of cattle

★ Newburyport, Massachusetts over the Merrimack River, 1810, 74 metre (244 feet) span, collapsed 1827

★ Brownsville, Pennsylvania, collapsed in 1820 under a snow-covered cart

★ Lehigh River, Northampton, Pennsylvania, retained in service until 1933
None of Finley's bridges now survive.
Finley patented his system in 1808 and also published a paper on the principles of the deck-stiffened suspension bridge.

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★ Image of Finley's bridge