Historic National Road
Eads Bridge & Gateway to the West Memorial, IL

The Eads Bridge over the Mississippi River was the first arched steel truss bridge in the world. When it was first proposed, it was scoffed at as impossible to build. It was completed in 1874 and is still in use today. It was built by James Buchanan Eads (1820-1887), a self-taught engineer, who distinguished himself as an innovator and entrepreneur. As a young man, Eads designed a diving bell which allowed him to walk on the Mississippi river bottom to salvage wrecked vessels by guiding the "snag" boats to their submerged targets. When the Civil War erupted, Eads was called upon by the U.S. government for advice on securing and maintaining control of the Mississippi. Eads designed and built the first seven armor-clad gun boats for the Union Navy, accomplishing the enormous task in just 100 days. Eads' accomplishments did not end with the Civil War.

The Mississippi River at St. Louis was, and is, a mighty force. A span to cross the river, with the specified 50' clearance for riverboat smoke stacks and a center span of 500', was thought to be impossible. The bridge was completed in seven years and stands as a monument to a man who thought well beyond his time.