Illinois and St Louis Bridge (Railway Bridge) - 1880's dated Railroad Bridge Unissued Stock Certificate

Railroad Stock. Riverboat scene-Superb vignette. Unissued. Rare! Truly outstanding classic stock!!! 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 was built by the Illinois and St. Louis Bridge Company, with the Keystone Bridge Company, founded in 1865 by Andrew Carnegie, serving as subcontractor for steel superstructure erection. Because of the increased reach of newly constructed railroads, river shipping trade had declined in importance compared to the antebellum years. Chicago was fast gaining as the center of commerce in the West. The bridge was conceived as a solution for St. Louis to regain eminence by connecting railroad and vehicle transportation across the river. Although he had no prior experience in bridge building, James Eads was chosen as chief engineer for the bridge. Read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eads_Bridge

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