Reedy Press‘ newest project, out September 15, is Mapping St. Louis: A History of the Gateway City in 40 Rare Maps. The image-packed publication, written by Campbell House Museum executive director Andrew W. Hahn, tracks the growth of our city from its beginnings to today.
Using maps of everything from changing populations and city limits to museums and local breweries, Hahn tells stories of growth and change, interests and big ideas. The archival material gathered for the book is reason enough to peruse this slim volume. Richly illustrated artifacts from the author’s personal collection—as well as those of the St. Louis Public Library, Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis Mercantile Library, and others—fill the pages of Mapping St. Louis, alongside detailed essays from Hahn.
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Those not immediately intrigued by the prospect of a few dozen maps, take note: Mapping St. Louis isn’t all city-county lines and interstate development. Pictorial entries, such as 1950s “A Melange of St. Louis Old and New,” offer discussion of local culture and social history. The 2020 entry, “Metro Fantasy,” proposes a metro transit system that would serve the greater St. Louis area, running all the way from Wentzville to Carlyle, Illinois. A fantasy project, indeed.
To hear from the author and to learn more about the process of bringing together the artifacts that made Mapping St. Louis possible, visit the Campbell House Museum (1508 Locust) on October 20 from 3–6 p.m. for a book launch event.
