St. Louis In Context: Economy

     St. Louis' strategic placement next to the Mississippi River offered it unique access to the major cities of the late nineteenth century, New York and San Francisco, Chicago and New Orleans  Due to it's status as a major hub of transportation and economy, there was a movement to move the capital of the nation from Washington D.C. to St. Louis. Governors and delegates met at the Mercantile Library, and was set on urging Congress to move the capital.  However, the plan drew little support and eventually its main supporter, Logan Reavis, became an object of ridicule (Primm 274-275).   Reavis did publish a book extolling the many commercial virtues of St. Louis, which was popular in many European markets but did not convince many at home that St. Louis was the hub of the nation.  Its popularity in Europe, especially Germany, is thought to have led more immigrants to settle in St. Louis over other American cities (276).  Chicago was St. Louis' greatest economic rival during the reconstruction era after the Civil War.  Eastern states had better connections with Chicago, allowing it to benefit from the boom in the North.  During the war, a Confederate blockade that stood until 1863 restricted access to foreign markets through the Mississippi.  After the Civil War, the South, which was St. Louis' main outlet, was left decimated, pushing St. Louis further from its goals of overtaking Chicago (276).   Though the river remained an significant part of transportation for goods and people in St. Louis, railroads were growing and expanding as the settlement of the Midwest and West grew exponentially.  As the railroads expanded into the neighboring countryside, suburban towns grew along their tracks, like Kirkwood Station and Webster Groves (Ravenswaay 435).  Trade along rail, especially the growing Southern cotton trade, allowed St. Louis to reclaim its status as a significant economic player.  Chicago and St. Louis continued their economic rivalry after the Civil War when Chicago attempted to block attempts by St. Louis to build rail bridges across the Mississippi.  Bridges were successfully built for Eastern lines running to Chicago from Iowa, northern Missouri, and Illinois, and later in Kansas City, Omaha and St. Charles.  In January 1867, Illinois legislators passed a bill that restricted 280-discussion of building bridges, St. Louis business men, including James Eads and Edgar Ames, were able to negotiate with the company to build a bridge from St. Louis to East St. Louis.  After years of planning, building, set-backs, both political and structural, Eads Bridge was open to testing on May 24, 1874, and formally opened to ravel and the public on July 4, 1874 (288-289).  By the turn of the century, twenty-two railroads converged on St. Louis, more than anywhere else in the country, Chicago still led in volume of traffic (297).