St. Louis’ history is hard to write about—not because nothing happens here (au contraire!) but instead because it’s so layered and fragmented. Part of that comes from our status as a “city of neighborhoods” (or, if you want to look at the flip side of that, one of the most segregated cities in America). We once had three flags flying over the city. So from whose point of view do you tell that story? And it only gets more complicated from there. You really could write a huge tome about it. But Nini Harris, a well-known local writer and historian, took the opposite approach, penning a 219-page collection of 90-odd encyclopedia-style blurbs. Some are as specific as a single address. Harris starts with the Arch grounds (the location of the original city plat, now getting its umpteenth makeover) and ends with Jefferson Barracks Park, which, though important, hasn’t changed all that much over the years. In between she writes about places large and small, teasing out all the sedimentary layers of history. The old Liggett & Myers Tobacco Co. factory currently makes most of the world’s mothballs. 4460 Delmar—now a vacant lot—was home to The Riviera, where Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald once performed. It was owned by Jordan Chambers, so politically powerful in his time, he was called the unofficial black mayor of St. Louis. A great primer for those new to St. Louis, this book also holds fascinating little-known stories that will be new to even longtime students of our city’s history.
Free summer concert series for every day of the week
Whether you want to picnic and jam on the weekend or head out for a weeknight treat, there’s a free summer concert series waiting to welcome you.
