St Louis, Missouri - Gateway to the West

St Louis, Missouri - Gateway to the West

St Louis Arsenal

Federal guns and ammunition were stored at the St. Louis Arsenal during the Civil War.

When the Civil War began, St. Louis, which had grown to more than 160,000 people, became a divided city, where abolitionists shared the streets with slaveholders. While Missouri was primarily in favor of slavery, the state pledged itself to the Union, creating much conflict among its citizens. Moreover, the war caused the cessation of river traffic from the south, having a devastating effect on local businesses and slowed the development of the city.

However, after the war, the city saw another period of major expansion as more and more people fled from the devastated south. St. Louis soon became a major industrial center with numerous clothing and shoe manufacturers and more than 100 breweries operating in the city. The largest Brewer, Anheuser-Busch continues to maintain its world headquarters in St. Louis to this day.

By 1890, the U.S. Census declared that the frontier had closed and America held no more unexplored and undiscovered lands. After this declaration, St. Louis grew at a more leisurely pace, having some 575,000 residents by the turn of the century.

Worlds Fair in St Louis, Missouri, 1904 In 1904, St. Louis hosted the World’s Fair, the greatest event in its history. Covering more than 1,000 acres in the vicinity of west Forest Park, the fair attracted more than 20 million visitors to the glittering expanse of white palaces and lagoons. That same summer, the United States became the first English-speaking country to host the Olympic Games on the fairgrounds. Bringing worldwide attention to the city, another wave of growth continued in St. Louis which lasted through World War I.

Though the depression took its toll on St. Louis in much the same manner as other cities, the town bounced back quickly with its wealth of industry and diversification.

When Route 66 came through the city, St. Louis was already more than 150 years old, with well established streets and neighborhoods. Due to the city’s continued growth and expansion during the life of the Mother Road, the route was changed in St. Louis multiple times. With so many alignments through the metropolis, you’ll need a few good maps to navigate St. Louis in search of search of vintage Route 66 icons.

Start your journey of the Mother Road through Missouri on the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, located north of downtown. Crossing the Mississippi River, from Illinois to Missouri, the bridge was constructed in 1929 as part of the original Highway 66 project. Initially financed by tolls, the bridge carried passengers over the “Mighty Mo” for the next 38 years until a new bridge was constructed in 1967.

Chain of Rocks Bridge near St. Louis, Missouri.

September, 2004, Kathy Weiser.

For the next 31 years, the bridge sat closed and abandoned in an area that soon developed a reputation for crime and violence. However, in 1999, the bridge was renovated and reopened as a bicycle and pedestrian bridge. Today, the one mile long Chain of Rocks Bridge is the longest strolling and biking bridge in the world.

After viewing this historic viaduct, head to downtown St. Louis where you can see the Gateway Arch, the Museum of Westward Expansion, and the historic Union Station.

Before leaving downtown, be sure to grab a bite at the Eat-Rite Diner at 622 Chouteau Avenue. Constructed in 1908 before Route 66 was even conceived of, this long enduring eatery first served as a coffee and donut shop for railroad crews.

In 1940, it became the "Eat-Rite Diner" and coined its motto "Eat-Rite or don't eat at all." Today, you can get a great burger at its chrome bar that will make you feel as if you have taken a forty year step back in time.

Another “must see” along the way is Ted Drewes Frozen Custard at 6726 Chippewa, which has been serving up frozen “concretes” to hungry travelers since 1929. Just across the street from Ted Drewes is another old Route 66 landmark – the Donut Drive-In, which also continues to cater to Mother Road travelers today.

At the National Museum of Transportation in southwest St. Louis, you can view a unit of the Coral Court Motel. Moved brick by brick to the museum, this motel once gained a reputation in St. Louis as a “no-tell motel.” Though the historic motel is gone, the museum brings at least a piece of it back to life.

The St. Louis Courthouse framed by the St. Louis

Arch, September, 2004, Kathy Weiser.

This image available for photographic prints

and downloads HERE!

Continue to follow the Route 66 markers along Chippewa and Manchester Roads through the St. Louis suburbs to see numerous vintage motels and diners scattered between busy modern shopping areas.

See more St Louis Pictures and Attractions Next Page

Also See:

Haunted Lemp Mansion

Ghosts of the Bethlehem Cemetery, St. Louis

Ghosts of Greater St. Louis

Haunted Bissell Mansion in St. Louis

Book your lodging in St. Louis right HERE online

Ted Drewes Frozen Custard has been a Route 66 icon

for 75 years, September, 2004, Kathy Weiser.

This image available for photographic prints and downloads HERE!

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Discoveries America Missouri DVD - “Mark Twain Himself” stage performance in Hannibal; city of St. Louis, Kansas City Fountains; Harry S. Truman Presidential Library; Hallmark Cards; Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; American Jazz Museum; SubTropolis; Fantastic Caverns; Live Entertainment Capital in Branson; Bass Pro/Big Cedar Lodge; Dogwood Canyon; and Sikeston's Redneck BBQ.