A year or so ago, David Schlafly asked me to help to set up some sort of an exhibit about the history of Maplewood in The Bottleworks brewery of which he is part owner. I agreed. I had a couple of meetings with some of the folks that worked there. I thought we were on the way.
To start, I decided to make a triptych to adorn a blank wall that is on your left, just past the gift shop. Specifically, these are three separate, composite photos. They read from left-to-right and from earliest-to-later. The subject is The Wedge (you capitalize that in Maplewood, son) which is a piece of real estate in that shape located where Manchester and Southwest come together.
The reason that I chose the Wedge as the subject is because that is what you see if you look out the front door of The Bottleworks. Part of the old Reller Chevrolet building, on the north side of Manchester, still exists. I figured that visitors who are interested in this sort of thing could peruse these images. Maybe photograph them. And take a look at the actual site that lay before them.
When I moved to Maplewood in 1975, the Wedge was blank. No buildings had been built upon it ever since the building that once held a saloon, named…you guessed it…The Wedge, had been demolished in the early 70s for an ill-fated attempt at redevelopment. The Fats and Leans, a charity organization that held regular baseball games, set up their fundraising barbecues there.
The last tenants of The Wedge had been the EJ Tire Company. Elmer (the E in EJ Tire) Wind, Jr. had been born in the building. He allowed me to copy many of his family photos. With a little Photoshopic manipulation I created the images you see here.
They never did get hung in the Bottleworks. I’m not sure why. We are having a Route 66 event on September 24. You can see them there if you like.
Hats off to the printer, Diversified Labs, here in the St. Louis area. I’ve used them for many years. They do a beautiful job. I just had them print 5 large images and they look as good as any I have ever gotten. Stunning really.
The Wedge is one of Maplewood’s most interesting historic sites. These composite images may help you see why. They tell only part of the story though. I have read that it was also an early turn around for horse cars. I know they were a type of streetcar pulled by horses. Whether or not the cars were on steel tracks, I can’t say.
Doug Houser September 9, 2022
Doug, this is just fascinating. It is so important that you are sharing your work, research, and knowledge of historic Maplewood. Thank you for the information on The Wedge. I hope at some point these photographs with text are displayed where you originally meant for them to be installed.
You are very welcome, Margaret. I appreciate all that you have said. Perhaps they will some day be displayed where I have intended.
Wonderful history, as always, Doug!! Had not seen these before. SO glad they are going to be displayed at Schlafly Bottleworks! Thank you!
Pickett, You are welcome. Thanks for your enthusiasm. The way it looks right now these images will be on display at the Hoffman-LaChance Gallery on Sutton.
Always enjoy seeing all your pictures and reading Maplewoods history, thank you!
Do you happen to know the history of the apartment buildings on 7157 Lyndover Pl? I hear the building is 100 years old, but can’t find info on it .
In the early 50’s, on our birthdays, our grandma would walk us down to the NE corner of the Wedge for footlong hotdogs. The to the loop for a round trip bus ride to the country (Kirkwood).
Nothin’ stays the same, does it, Ed? Thanks for your recollection.
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