From: norm@roweboat.com

My wife was born and raised in Memphis, right on the Mississippi River. Her great-great(-great?)-uncle was James Buchanan Eads, the designer and builder of the Eads Bridge in St. Louis, the one who built (out of his own pocket) the ironclad ships used by the Union during the Civil War up and down the river, and the one who was responsible for the jetties which channel the flow of the river at the delta to keep it navigable. If there's anything she might be able to contribute, please let us know.