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Eads Bridge

Even as steamboats plied the waters of the Mississippi River off the shore of East St. Louis during the latter part of the nineteenth century, businessmen recognized the value of connecting East St. Louis and St. Louis by a bridge spanning the Mississippi. As early as the 1820s, the promise of railroads offered land transportation free from the limits of America's great rivers. By the 1860s railroads proved to be a reliable means for transporting passengers and cargo. Entrepreneurs on both sides of the Mississippi understood that a bridge would give railroads, carts, and pedestrians an easy way to cross the river. A bridge would reduce delays for moving freight westward then caused by the need to stop trains in East St. Louis and transport goods across the river by ferry. A bridge would further the capital growth these investors had already placed in the American Bottom region. A bridge was the next step to securing St. Louis as permanent transportation point between the East Coast and the expanding west.

The great St. Louis Bridge across the Mississippi, was designed by Capt. James B. Eads. The bridge was constructed from 1869 to 1874 at a cost of $10,000,000. It consists of three steel spans resting on massive

limestone piers. The center span is 520 feet long, the other two each 502 feet. The total length of the bridge is 2070 yards. The highest part of the arches is 55 feet above the water (Huntington p 252).

Every time I look at this bridge, I cannot help to think what it was like in the time it was constructed. This employed many men from the local community for five strong years. Did they realize at the time that they were creating a wonderful enhancement to the city’s commerce and travel? Did they know that this would become a St. Louis landmark for years to come? I think people that lived in the area and that worked within sight of the construction, enjoyed watching this structure come to life. The same way that people watched the arch construction from a distance.

St. Louis has a rich and wonderful history and many of its residents are well informed about it. But there are many times that this bridge is over looked. I think it is because this is not one of the main things that people remember as a vital part of our community anymore. True, it is not as glamorous as the Golden Gate Bridge or the Brooklyn Bridge but the Eads Bridge is no less important to its users.

This is more than just a bridge to the residents of the St. Louis and East St. Louis areas. This is a little piece of our state history. Since our town has been deemed the gateway to the west this bridge made it a staple on the map for years to come. This was the innovation that changed our city from a strong steamboat city to one th

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