140 years agothey were finishing the first steel bridge, first Mississippi River bridge, first symbol of St. Louis

Eads Bridge

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James Buchanan Eads

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was named for his mother's cousin, president James Buchanan. Eads grew up in St. Louis. He was a self-taught engineer who invented a diving bell for river boat salvage. During the Civil War he built 30 ironclads for the U.S. Navy. After the war he turned to building his dream.

Eads envisioned a bridge that would allow St. Louis to compete with Chicago's rapid commercial growth. Riverboats protected their role by making lofty bridge standards. Eads designed three ribbed steel arch spans between stone piers sunk to bedrock. The final structure was 6,442 feet, the longest bridge in the world for 1874.

Owned Keystone Bridge Co. He built the St. Louis bridge for the prestige but fought with Eads during seven years of work. Costs grew from $736,000 to $10 million. "The St. Louis bridge is one out of 100 to Keystone while to Capt. Eads it is the grand work of a distinguished life."

Andrew Carnegie

Carnegie was convinced the bridge would never be finished and sold his stock nearly three years before it opened in 1874. Still, he marveled at the final product.  Eads' demand for steel of unprecedented quality led Carnegie into the steel business in 1875. Steel built Carnegie's fortune.

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Building Eads

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Eads Information

Link: PBS on James Buchanan Eads

Sources: BND archives, photographer Steve Nagy, Library of Congress, Wikimedia Commons, East St. Louis Action Research Project and affiliated libraries.

Link: PBS on Andrew Carnegie

Link: East St. Louis Action Research Project