Does anyone know of any good STL history books, and where they can be purchased? I've been reading some Chicago history books and they are absolutely fascinating. Even more fascinating is the 1800's history when STL was the king of the midwest. I'd love to read books from STL's perspective instead of Chicago's.



Thanks!

I think "Lion of the Valley" is considered the definitve history of St. Louis from its founding until 1980. The author is James Primm.



Another is "St. Louis: The Evolution of an American Urban Landscape (Critical Perspectives on the Past)" by Eric Sandweiss. This is more planning and architecture oriented, while "Lion" is more of a history



I also picked up a book that looked interesting called "St. Louis Politics" which was a history of St. Louis politics.



I'll be honest I haven't had a chance to read these (I just got Lion for Christmas) but they are on my bookshelf and I will get to them sometime soon.

Slightly OT, but have you read "Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson? It is about the Chicago World's Fair AND a serial killer, but mostly about the fair. There is some interesting insight and some links to St. Louis architecture. I found it interesting that he mentions Chicago as having the first kyscraper, while I've always believed the Wainwright to be the first.



http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/devili ... /home.html

Thanks everyone for the book suggestions. Do you know where I can pick them up? I'm up in Chicago now, and it doesn't look like Amazon carries them. I'll be in STL in April so I could pick them up while I'm there.



gstone - I did read "Devil in the White City" - fantastic book. I recently walked through Jackson Park and the midway, that is just a great book. I'm also reading "City of Big Shoulders" - the history of Chicago from 1750 or so to present. Amazing how it almost missed becoming the big city it did.

metzgda wrote:Thanks everyone for the book suggestions. Do you know where I can pick them up? I'm up in Chicago now, and it doesn't look like Amazon carries them. I'll be in STL in April so I could pick them up while I'm there.

Amazon carries this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/156639 ... 1?n=283155

And UM system sell this:

http://www.umsystem.edu/upress/fall1998/primm.htm

as does ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Lion-of-the-Valley- ... dZViewItem

My favorite book is "Streets and Streetcars of St. Louis" by Andrew Young (http://www.booksonstlouis.com/ststofstlose.html) documenting the decline of the streetcar era and thus our beloved city's true urban vitality. While I find the streetcars and their lines of general interest, it is the photographs of the streetscapes that I find moving, enlightening, sad, and ultimately hopeful that we could have that again someday. The loss of buildings and population is staggering in just the last 40 years. To see well-known intersections like Grand & Lafayette before I-44 or Market and Jefferson before urban renewal is almost too much to take. Even "automobile row" on S. Kingshighway with the streetcar down the middle was a wonderful sight. When I was a kid my grandmother (who has never driven a car in her life) lamented the loss of the streetcar. Growing up in Kirkwood she used to be able to catch it and head downtown to go shopping or "the show". Now widowed at 85 she depends on friends and family to take her anywhere from her Manchester home. Believe it or not, when she moved there in 1970 it was still a very walkable community -- and she did, A LOT. Try crossing Manchester Road on foot today...



It is also nice to see what has not changed at all. The photograph of Meramec Street east of Grand looks very much as it does today. The most noticible difference in places that have remained largely unchanged when comparing then and now (besides the number of people on the street) is the richness lent to the streetscape by the variety of signage. Now that makes a city!



What a sad loss indeed. Someday, someday...

I have a book called "St. Louis: Landmarks & Historic Districts."

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/booksonstlo ... lanhi.html

It is pictoral overview of current and historic St. Louis buildings. A must have IMO.

Well I will post some of my books on here to give folks a few ideas of some great books new and old. Many of these are less textual history books and more photo compelations. The book "St. Louis: The Evolution of an American Urban Landscape (Critical Perspectives on the Past)" is a great read and recomend it to all.



Postcard History Series St. Louis: 1875-1940 by Joan M. Thomas



Where we Live, a Guide to St. Louis Communties (A MO History book)



"St. Louis: Landmarks & Historic Districts." is another great book



St. Louis Then and Now by Elizabeth McNulty



the Busch Stadium Moments book by the Post -Dispatch has some great photos of downtown before the building of the stadium, giving a great view of both what was on the site and even better, some idea of the great architectural losses from the Cupples district.



Saint Louis Protriat of a River City by Elinor Martineau Coyle is a great history book about St. Louis that I was lucky enough to inherit. It was published in 1966 and shows an intersting perspective on St. Louis history and the great areas of the metro.



St. Louis The First 200 Years bt the First National Bank in St. Louis was published in 1964 to celebrate the city's bi-centenial. It is a real treasure and has a great perspective on the developments of the city during the 1950's and 1960's, showing the enthusiasim of the period.





While not a book, I was lucky enough to get this poster for my birthday. I figured you would all enjoy it

Wow! Thanks again everyone, I will check all of those books out.



I've read both St. Louis Then and Now and Inside the Worlds Fair of 1904. Both were "ok" but don't give much of a history. The books that were mentioned here look more to satisfy my craving!



BTW, the most interesting part of St. Louis Then and Now, was that the city has had such a rebound in the last 10 years, they could do another St. Louis Then and Now from when the current book ended (being then) to 2006 (being now)!

This Is Our Saint Louis is a big mother of a book published in the early '70s I believe. It's a comprehensive history that covers St. Louis from its founding to the urban renewal era of the late '60s. Some of the best pictures I've ever seen are contained within its pages. Very dated, considering there's a chapter touting Laclede Town as an American urban success story.

Pictorial St. Louis, the great metropolis of the Mississippi valley; a topographical survey drawn in perspective A.D. 1875, by Camille N. Dry; designed & edited by Rich. J. Compton.



There is an electronic version on the Library of Congress website. You can view each page AND ZOOM in very closely.



http://tinyurl.com/c2v59



This is a remarkable illustration of the entire city with each building illustrated from a hot air balloon -- I believe. My house was still a common field at the time but there are TONS of recognizable structures. If you live in one of the older neighborhoods you may find your house.

stlpcsolutions wrote:St. Louis Gangsters is also a very good book.

I love this book, but it has more typographical errors than a 4th grade book report.

What is the ISBN or where can I buy ?

This is Our St. Louis

SMS-- it's been out of stock for many years. I believe the central library downtown has a copy. If you want to borrow mine sometime, that's no problem! It's great! (By the way, it's a big hardcover that weighs about 10 lbs.).

As Cityboy mentioned, Pictorial St. Louis is incredible.



I also recommend: "St. Louis in the Gilded Age", and "A Century of Enterprise", by the MO Historical Society. "Old St. Louis Homes", by The Folkestone Press. "The Past In Our Presence", by The St. Louis County Dept. of Parks and Recreation. "The St. Louis Portrait", by Continental Heritage.

MistaC01 wrote:

metzgda wrote:Thanks everyone for the book suggestions. Do you know where I can pick them up? I'm up in Chicago now, and it doesn't look like Amazon carries them. I'll be in STL in April so I could pick them up while I'm there.

Amazon carries this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/156639 ... 1?n=283155

And UM system sell this:

http://www.umsystem.edu/upress/fall1998/primm.htm

as does ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Lion-of-the-Valley- ... dZViewItem

Thanks for the info everyone - I ended up purchasing a used copy of "Lion of the Valley" off of ebay. Once I'm finished with that I'll look into other books mentioned here.

metzgda wrote: I've been reading some Chicago history books and they are absolutely fascinating. Even more fascinating is the 1800's history when STL was the king of the midwest. I'd love to read books from STL's perspective instead of Chicago's.



Thanks!

I'm currently taking The History Of Chicago at Columbia College. You're right, fascinating stuff. I get so mad, though, seeing how Chicago stole St. Louis' thunder! St. Louis should have been the big metropolis! Chicago was a swampy, muddy hell hole...no place to build a city.....but they did it.



I'm glad you started this thread, because I have been wanting to know the same thing. I want the St. Louis perspective. I know how must Chicagoans feel.....they think St. Louis is a joke......URRRGGHH!

If you like the Southside, try to get a copy of A History of Carondelet, by Nini Harris. It was published by The Patrice Press in 1991. Southern Commercial Bank used to give these away to their customers. Its really a very thorough history, with many old photos, including Bevo Mill under construction, and an old aerial rendering of the Holly Hills subdivision.

I've wondered if the Gasconade River bridge collapse hadn't happened how StL's trajectory in regards to railroads would have been different. It had to have negatively impacted the psyche, right? And losing powerful people who were inclined enough to take the first trip west. Like if one of the billionaire spaceships had blown up with them on it. There still would have been the Civil War to slow things down of course. The Wiggins Ferry Co should rank up there in the great StL villains. A great example of crony capitalism.

Stl Public Radio - ‘Trains & Trolleys’ explores the railroads that altered St. Louis’ fortunes

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/show/st ... s-fortunes

How many neighborhoods have legitimate local history books written by the neighborhood? I know Skinker DeBaliviere has one. Interested in others out there.


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A lot of older neighborhoods in University City have small, almost missalette-style, books about their history and architecture. The neighborhood I grew up in had one that my family bought, but, when I visited the Central Library, I found copies for other neighborhoods there as well. This is in reference to like Parkview, Ames Place, Maryland Terrace, and University Heights, but I’m sure there are more, esp for city neighborhoods.

I've decided to start reading some books about St. Louis history. 

I'm doing this through the library, through an app called Hoopla. I'm starting with a book called Gangs of St. Louis. 

I would think with this being a beer town that there would be some pretty decent prohibition history. And with there being such prominent Italian and Irish immigrant groups in St. Louis, I would think that there's some decent organized crime history as well.