On a St. Louis history-related Facebook page a woman shared a photo her father took of John F. Kennedy when he visited Maplewood before he became President.
The photo is similar to another one of Kennedy the same day in a convertible on Sutton Boulevard near Greenwood.
The city of Maplewood on its website says the photo was taken in 1960. Kennedy became President in January 1961.
In the recently surfaced photo Kennedy appears to be near Sutton and Flora. The woman, Kathy Sokol Walker, said her father also took the photo (below) of President Harry Truman at Lambert airport. She said she remembers her father saying, “Mr. President do you mind if I take your picture?”
It’s so much fun to see these pictures. My dad and I are in the background in the second picture. He is the one with the jacket, white shirt, and black pants just a little to the left of Kennedy. I am standing next to him on his right. I was fourteen at the time. I will never forget Kennedy’s visit.
The one by the Methodist Church (Flora Ave) is across the street from where my Mom, Dad and me were standing. Still remember that day. Dad and I heard his speech at Crestwood Plaza and hurried home and got Mom and we walked down to the corner.
I have seen the picture at Greenwood before but do not remember the reason he was here? Running for office? Here to tour some business? Nice to see another one of him. Judging from the crowd I am betting someone else has some more pictures out there.
The sequence of the first two pictures is reversed. In the second he is going up Greenwood (from Big Bend?) and crossing the tracks to go north on Sutton, and then in the first, he has continued up Sutton and is passing the Methodist church. Pretty neat!