East Meets West: The First Railroad Bridge to Cross the Mississippi (RI History Part 1)

This documentary tells the story of the bridge that first connected Rock Island, Illinois with Davenport, Iowa in 1856, including the roles of Henry Farnam who led the effort to build the railroad and the bridge, plus Abraham Lincoln who successfully defended the railroad's right to bridge the river. The bridge was a crucial link in the transcontinental railroad and settlement of the west. Locally and nationally, its historic importance cannot be overstated.