Innovation
Does scarcity spur innovation? After struggling through 1849, St. Louis underwent some major infrastructural changes. In the early 1850s the construction of railroads began and the first public sewer was built. Soon after businesses, like Anheuser Busch, took off. New innovations began in St. Louis, such as the first streetcar. Eads Bridge, connecting to Illinois, was constructed in 1874 which eventually led to the development of East St. Louis.
Anheuser-Busch introduced refrigerated railroad cars and operated over forty cars by the mid 1870s. This allowed the company to expand its facilities and production increased from 30,000 barrels a year in 1875 to more than 200,000 barrels in 1881. The company continued to expand its facilities, and by 1907 it was producing 1.6 million barrels of beer. This contributed greatly to the local economy because of the jobs and revenue it created.