Construction of the Eads Bridge, connecting Illinois and Missouri in East St. Louis, began on this day in 1867.

The Eads Bridge was the first bridge made of cast steel and, at the time, was the longest arch bridge in the world. With the help of underwater work stations, bridge designers were able to sink piers well into the gravel bedrock more than 100 feet underwater – an engineering feet unheard of at the time. After more than seven years of construction, the Eads Bridge opened in June of 1873 at a final cost of $7 million.

Today, the Eads Bridge carries more than 8,000 vehicles everyday on its upper deck. Rail lines on the lower deck carry MetroLink trains connecting the East St. Louis riverfront with downtown St. Louis.

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Read more about the Eads Bridge designer James Buchanan Eads

New Philadelphia, Illinois was located in western Illinois’ Pike County, not far from the Mississippi River and Missouri border. The town was founded by “Free” Frank McWorter, who moved to Illinois from Kentucky with his wife Lucy and their four children in 1830. McWorter founded the town of New Philadelphia in 1836 with a plan to make as much money as possible to buy his remaining family out of slavery and move them north to the new settlement.

The town would suffer economically in the 1860s when a new railroad line bypassed the town, leading to a slow dispersal of residents from the area. By the 1880s, most residents had left the area in search of opportunity elsewhere.

Today, the area once incorporated as New Philadelphia is an open prairie field, with all remnants of the town underground. The significance of an integrated town existing before the Civil War, however, draws historians and others to the area.

In 2005, the town site was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

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Read more about the history of New Philadelphia

“The Picasso” sculpture, located in Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago, was unveiled 48 years ago this week. Designed by Pablo Picasso, the 50-foot steel structure was built when most public displays of art were monuments built in remembrance of historical figures or events. The sculpture is made of Cor-Ten steel which was assembled in nearby Gary, Indiana. The steel is the same composite used on the Daley Center skyscraper next door.

The new, modern look of Picasso’s sculpture was interpreted differently by many, with some saying it looked like a horse, bird or an abstract portrait of Picasso’s wife. Mayor Richard J. Daley was quoted saying it looked like the wings of Justice – fitting for the location next to a slew of courthouses and other legal offices.

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Read more about the history of “The Picasso”
Learn more about the Richard J. Daley Center

The 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote in all U.S. elections, passed Congress on June 4, 1919. At the time, more than 20 states denied women the right to vote, with another 12 allowing them to vote only in presidential elections.

Once the amendment passed Congress, three-fourths of states needed to ratify it in order for it to become the law of the land. Illinois was one of the first states to ratify the amendment, along with neighboring Wisconsin and Michigan.

The amendment was officially ratified 95 years ago today when Tennessee narrowly passed the amendment, thus enshrining it to the Constitution.

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Read more about the history of the 19th Amendment on History.com

The Illinois State Fair was first held in 1853 in Springfield. At the time, state fairs were being held for the first time in many states as a way for farmers to learn about new technologies and practices they could take back to their fields.

Today, the Illinois State Fair attracts nearly a million visitors during its 11-day run. While the fair still offers a host of agricultural-based shows and events, it also includes amusement rides, live concerts and an endless variety of food choices to ensure fun for the entire family. 

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Visiting the State Fair? Read more about concert line-ups, food offerings and events