Once the icon of St. Louis and originally named the Illinois and St. Louis Bridge, Eads Bridge is a landmark engineering marvel. It was the first permanent bridge to span the Mississippi River, developed and built by self-taught engineer James Buchanan Eads.
Early Life of James Eads
James Buchanan Eads was born May 23, 1820, in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, to Thomas Clark Eads and Ann Buchanan Eads.
The family moved often due to failed business ventures.
In 1833, when James was 13, they moved to St. Louis, Missouri, intending for Thomas to open a general store.
While traveling on the steamship Belle West to St. Louis, the ship caught fire near the dock. The family escaped but lost all possessions when the ship sank.
To survive, Ann rented rooms and sublet them, charging rent and meals. James worked selling apples and soon became an errand boy at a dry goods store owned by Barrett Williams, who let James use his private library—mostly books on physics, chemistry, and mechanics.
James showed early engineering talent, building models of steamboats and locomotives.
Steamboat Experience and Salvage Business
In 1837, the family moved to Pankhurst, Iowa, but James stayed in St. Louis working at Williams’ store.
In 1839, James became 2nd clerk on the steamboat Knickerbocker traveling between Galena, Illinois, and St. Louis.
He learned about the Mississippi River’s tides, banks, islands, and quirks.
In May 1840, the Knickerbocker sank after hitting a snag, sparking James’ idea to use a diving bell to salvage sunken cargo.
He partnered with boat builders Calvin Chase and William Nelson to build a snag boat with a diving bell—essentially a submarine that allowed men to work underwater retrieving cargo.
The salvage business operated profitably from Galena to the Gulf of Mexico, earning contracts with insurance and shipping companies.
Personal Life and Glassworks
James courted his cousin Martha Dillon, but her father disapproved of the salvage business. James left to learn glassmaking in Philadelphia.
They married on October 21, 1845, in St. Louis. After a short honeymoon, James opened a glassworks, the only one west of the Mississippi, but the Mexican-American War and supply shortages forced him to sell the business.
He returned to salvage work, dredging the riverfront after the Great Fire of 1849.
Sadly, Martha died of cholera in 1851, leaving two daughters.
In 1854, James married Eunice Eads, widow of a cousin. They moved to a mansion on Compton Hill.
Civil War Efforts and Ironclads
By 1861, President Lincoln sought James’ expertise to build ironclad gunboats for river defense.
James designed and contracted seven ironclads, including the St. Louis, launched October 12, 1861.
These ships helped secure Union victories, including at the Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864.
The Dream of a Bridge
Talk of a bridge across the Mississippi at St. Louis dated back to 1839, but cost was prohibitive.
St. Louis needed a bridge to connect eastern and western railroads and compete with Chicago, which already had railroad bridges over the river.
However, ferry monopolies complicated matters—specifically the Wiggins Ferry Company, which controlled ferry traffic and riverfront properties, imposing high costs and limiting bridge development.
Political Battles and Company Mergers
Lucius Boomer of Chicago pushed a bill granting his company exclusive rights to build a bridge from Illinois to St. Louis, aiming to block local efforts.
James Eads and the St. Louis Merchant’s Exchange lobbied against this.
Boomer’s charter required bridge construction to start within two years or lose rights.
Boomer formed a Missouri bridge company but ultimately resigned after his poor Gasconade River bridge experience and failed attempts to oust Eads.
Eads merged local bridge companies, becoming chief engineer of the St. Louis and Illinois Bridge Company.
Bridge Design and Financing
Eads designed a triple-span arch bridge:
Two side spans of 497 feet
A center span of 515 feet
Supported by two shore abutments and two river piers
Double deck: upper for railroads and vehicles; lower feeding a tunnel near the future Union Station
Investors in Boston, New York, and London financed construction, expecting toll revenues.
Engineering Challenges and Pneumatic Caissons
The river’s width (1,500 feet), fast current, and bedrock depths (40 feet on Missouri side, 100 feet on Illinois side) made construction difficult.
Elevation differences required careful planning for navigation clearance.
Eads innovated by using pneumatic caissons—airtight iron boxes with pressurized air chambers that allowed workers to dig riverbed foundations underwater.
Workers faced dangerous conditions, suffering from decompression sickness (“the bends”), with 14 deaths recorded.
Construction and Conflict
Work on the east pier began October 17, 1869, reaching bedrock by February 1870.
Archways and decks were supported by wooden towers and rigging.
Steel components were supplied by Keystone Bridge Company, co-led by Andrew Carnegie, who clashed with Eads over quality.
Eads’ health declined in 1873, forcing a leave; others took over construction temporarily.
Political and Legal Tensions
Riverside companies and the Army Corps of Engineers, led by AA Humphreys, opposed the bridge, calling for condemnation.
President Ulysses S. Grant intervened to allow construction to continue.
Bridge Opening
April 4, 1874: Rail deck and roadway ready for traffic.
May 1874: Pedestrian sidewalk opened, with 20,000 people paying 5 cents to walk across.
June 3, 1874: General William Tecumseh Sherman drove a golden spike, marking completion.
June 7, 1874: First locomotive crossed, carrying Eads and Sherman.
July 4, 1874: Official opening with a 200,000-person parade, cannon salutes, speeches, and a dedication by President Grant.
An elephant test walk proved the bridge’s safety. Fireworks finale, however, was a dud.
Tunnel Construction
Simultaneously, a 400-foot tunnel connected the bridge to Missouri Pacific railroad tracks.
Builders faced quicksand and underground springs, causing contract changes.
The tunnel had no ventilation; early steam trains nearly suffocated crews until coke-burning locomotives were used.
The tunnel ended at Mill Creek Valley—a filth-ridden area destined for future development.
Bridge’s Struggles and Legacy
Despite the engineering feat, the bridge failed to revitalize St. Louis economically.
Railroads initially boycotted the bridge due to existing ferry monopolies and scattered depots.
By 1875, the bridge was bankrupt.
In 1878, the bridge was sold to new owners controlled by New York and London bondholders.
In 1880, the Terminal Railroad Association acquired the bridge, integrating rail lines.
Rail traffic ceased on the bridge in 1974, and automobile traffic was suspended from 1991–2003 for restoration.
Recent Rehabilitation
From 2012 to 2016, a $48 million rehabilitation project extended the bridge’s life to at least 2091, including steel replacement, repainting, concrete repair, and rail upgrades.
Eads Bridge remains a vital part of St. Louis’ transportation network.
Later Life and Death of James Eads
After the bridge, Eads engineered river projects, including jetties at the Mississippi’s mouth to deepen channels.
He worked on hydraulic engineering projects in Oregon, Canada, Mexico, and England.
Eads retired in 1883, moving to New York City.
He died March 8, 1887, in Nassau at age 66 and was buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis.
Conclusion
An engineering feat involving over 1,500 workers, Eads Bridge stands as a true marvel and symbol of St. Louis.
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Until next time, I’ll see you in the Lou.