Captain James Buchanan Eads was a world-renowned American civil engineer and inventor, holding more than 50 patents.
James Buchanan Eads
Photograph portrait of Martha Dillon Eads, wife of James B. Eads.
Eads Bridge, St. Louis
1888 color lithograph of J. B. Eads, made for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes
The Eads Bridge is a combined road and railway bridge over the Mississippi River connecting the cities of St. Louis, Missouri, and East St. Louis, Illinois. It is located on the St. Louis riverfront between Laclede's Landing to the north, and the grounds of the Gateway Arch to the south. The bridge is named for its designer and builder, James Buchanan Eads. Work on the bridge began in 1867, and it was completed in 1874. The Eads Bridge was the first bridge across the Mississippi south of the Missouri River. Earlier bridges were located north of the Missouri, where the Mississippi is smaller. None of the earlier bridges survive, which means that the Eads Bridge is also the oldest bridge on the river.
The Eads Bridge from St. Louis, to East St. Louis, Illinois, over the Mississippi River
Poster showing the construction of the bridge in different phases, ca. 1874.
Eads Bridge from East Riverfront MetroLink station, Illinois side
Eads Bridge showing MetroLink train running on lower deck. Light posts for upper automobile deck can be seen along the upper rails.
