History

Construction on the Eads Bridge began in 1869 and was completed on July 4, 1874 when General Sherman placed the final railroad spike. It's now the oldest standing bridge over the Mississippi River and is considered an engineering marvel as the first steel-truss construction. It transports cars and trains between Illinois and Missouri across the 0.8 mile width of the Mississippi River. James Eads was selected in 1867 as engineer-in-chief for the project. Houdini considered the iconic structure for one of his magical feats but no evidence has been found that he performed an escape there.

Even one suicide is too many.

Robert Olson, Centre for Suicide Prevention

If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Phone: 1-800-273-8255

Support for deaf and hard of hearing: 1-800-799-4889

Text: 838255

Chat: Connect Online

Symbolic sites have been historically known as 'suicide magnets'. A major fallacy is that the end will be quick and painless but The Centre for Suicide Prevention reports that disfigurement with massive pain and extreme internal injuries accompany a jump from a bridge.

There is no better way to thank God for your sight than to give a helping hand to someone in the dark.

Helen Keller

Judy (McDonnell) Holtzscher sent information on her Uncle Harvey McDonnell, an L&N Railroad employee at the East St. Louis freight house that tried to rescue a man that jumped from the Eads Bridge in 1910. The newspaper article below has surprising details. Some photos of the family are also displayed.