Maplewood History: Startling Pre-debacle Images of Buildings on Manchester

By
Doug Houser
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44
227
Eddie's Lounge at the intersection of Arthur Ave and Manchester. The view is to the east.

Man. What I won’t stoop to in order to have an eye catching headline?  As you may suspect the images in this post shot by Glenn Haley and submitted by Mike Jones aren’t exactly startling.  Well, maybe. You let me know if they are. I have looked at these and others like them so many times that I’m numb. I don’t know how those of you unfamiliar with them will react.

As most of you are aware I have total independence as far as my blog is concerned.  If Editor Miner has ever disapproved of the content of one of my posts, he hasn’t said so.  One can experience a wonderful feeling of freedom when working without the benefit of a committee or board.  Take the headline for this post. Do you think I could ever get away with it if I had to consider the whims of a committee?  Absolutely no way.

I made record of the names of these two gentleman who are responsible for the contents of this post.  What I didn’t record was the when and where of it. I know nothing about either one of them. If either of you fellows happens to see this, please let us know. Meanwhile, we appreciate you letting us have this look back before the 7300 block of Manchester experienced some dramatic changes.

Looking west down Manchester from the intersection with Arthur Ave.  The buildings on the south side have survived.  Folks familiar with Maplewood will recognize the landmark Paramount Jewelers sign on the far left.
Looking east down Manchester. Scheidt Hardware (7320) with a coat of gray paint that has thankfully since been removed. Kennedy Music is now in the third building from the corner of Marshall. You may recall a few posts ago it was in the first building.  Foundation Grounds now occupies the building with the GFC Loans sign.  The three buildings between there and Kennedy’s were demolished.  That is now the site of Citizen’s Park.
To make this shot, Glenn was standing with his back to Manchester looking NE along Arthur Ave. The nice looking building on the right must have been a tavern or perhaps the back of Eddie’s Lounge which will be seen shortly. The beer sign hanging outside has either the emblem of Griesedieck Beer or later, Falstaff. They were the same. I once owned a sign exactly like that.
Looking east along Manchester. All of these buildings have survived. The closest car is a 1968 Cougar.  I had one of those too.
F.W. Woolworth was at the western end of the block on the south side.
Despite the name change to Pioneer, the older Bank of Maplewood name is still carved in stone. This fine building once stood on the NE corner of Sutton and Manchester.
It makes one ill to think of the demolition of this sturdy structure. Emil Scheidt, Bob’s Dad, saved the piece of stone with the word BANK carved in it. Luke Havel knew where it was until a short time ago. I would love to see it returned to its original site.
Eddie’s Lounge at the intersection of Arthur Ave and Manchester. It has been said that the well-known hardwarian, Roger McCreight,  often took lunch there.  Just lunch, Roger?  The view is to the east.
The signage on a couple of the lost buildings.
Another view of Woolworth’s.
Ditto.
The north side of Manchester. That’s Eddie’s on the far left. None of these buildings survive.
The NW corner of Arthur Ave. and Manchester.
These buildings survive on the south side of Manchester. That is the corner of Scheidt Hardware just barely visible on the right.
Looking west along Manchester. Look at that. Hart Jewelers is only a door or so away from Paramount. Competition.

I hope you have enjoyed these images of our unbifurcated (it’s a word. Look it up.  I just did.) business district.  Much thanks to Mr. Haley for taking these pictures and to Mr. Jones for sending them along.

As always, I appreciate your interest and support.  Special thanks to those who contribute.  I try to respond to nearly all of the comments and emails.  The emails can sometimes get overlooked the way Gmail stacks them up.  If yours is one I’ve passed up, please try again.

The presentation of my new book at the Maplewood Public Library on the 19th went well.  Thanks to all who turned out for that.  Now if I could just get some copies from the printer, I’d be set.  Keep your fingers crossed.

We have a bit more nice weather before the you-know-what.  Just enjoy it and don’t focus on what’s next.

Doug Houser 9/23/2019

44 COMMENTS

  1. Doug, You may or may not want to put this in the news, but just for your info, in that last photo (where Harts Jewelers sign is prominent), that’s Emil Scheidt walking out of the London Shop.

    • You’re darn right I’d like to put it in my article, Jim. You should know. He was your father. For those that don’t know, Emil was the second generation operator of the Scheidt Hardware store for many decades.

  2. Great article Doug. You are absolutely correct, seeing these images has made me feel ill. It would be one thing if these buildings had been lost to a tornado, but a Kmart? So sad. Thank goodness wiser heads prevailed over that near-miss debacle a few years ago that almost claimed the southeast block of Sutton.

  3. Great article, loved it. My grandparents moved here in 1892 so our family has been around awhile. Any photos of the Maplewood show or the old bus loop?

  4. Are used to pull newspaper carts when I was six years old from the Sutton bus loop down to the St. Louis city limits and I come out on S. West Ave. by the bridge at those stairs and me and my brother who was 10 would pull the cards up through Maplewood and we would stop at all of those bars on the north side of Manchester and they would always buy me and my brother some chips and some sodas it was a blast. I know where that bank sign as it’s on craigslist under architectural

    • Rob, Your remembrance of your early childhood is touching. I miss the paper boys that sold the daily newspapers. There were a couple of small fellows who set up at a corner just north of Loughborough and Jamieson. Next to that church there. I discovered them once when I was over that way for some now forgotten reason. They stick in my mind because of their method of keeping track of their change. They spread it out on the sidewalk over about a 10 square foot area – one coin high! I got a kick out of that.
      If the same person is selling the Bank stone who bought it at the estate sale, I think it sold for $100 that time. Much thanks for your comment.

  5. I lived in Maplewood about the first 17 years. I lived on Oxford at first we move to Weaver. I went to Sutton school, we move and I went to Valley school , Jr High ,and High School to the to my Jr year. I left and joined the NAVY. The last time I was in Maplewood was 1988 went my dad passed away. I remember Woolworth had a small pizza stand it was real good pizza. I like the pictures of downtown Maplewood, If someone has pictures of downtown NOW I would love see them

    • Hey Charles, Have you tried Googling our buildings on Manchester? You should be able to find images of all of them. Much thanks for sharing your recollections.

  6. I lived on Arthur Ave across from the Goldie’s parking lot shown in that picture. The house behind the parking lot belonged to the dentist on Sutton Ave. Had a wonderful BlackBerry tree that w use to help ourselves to.
    I didn’t see the shop Barbie Fran, lived that store. Kathy Cotner

    • Hey Kathy, Was that dentist’s name Fischer? Just wondering if he was related to the one in residence when his historic house office burned about five years ago. Thank you for sharing your memories.

  8. Growing up here in Maplewood i remember all of the stores we had. Most everyday after school a bunch of us would meet at Woolworths for sodas and fries and just hang out. Great memories of those days in the 60s.

    • I suppose the Quiktrip is the modern day equivalent of Woolworth’s for the younger set. Something’s lost. Thanks for your comment, Tom.

  9. Great photos of the Maplewood strip
    I remember. Ate lunch at Woolworths, clothes at Blusteins, music lessons at Kennedys music , and bought a ring from Paramount that my wife has 40 years later. Thanks so much for the pictures!

  10. As a non-native of STL and an almost 15 year resident of Maplewood, I so appreciate these pictures and your posts.

    I’ve always loved history and old photos, but I really appreciate seeing the history of this community I have come to call home and love.

    Your editor is brilliant! Keep up the good work.

    • We will try to, Lori. We appreciate your positivity and exuberance. You are a welcome addition to our community. Your comment about the editor being brilliant is much appreciated. We’re not sure exactly who you mean. There are two of us, both named Doug. There is no need to be more specific. Even though both of us suspect your compliment was meant for the other, we’ll equally share your “brilliant” remark. Much thanks.

  12. Hi Doug, I really enjoy seeing all these photos. My very first job was at Woolworth’s in the stockroom. Mom and Dad had to sign a work permit for me because I was too young to work. I made 43 and one half cents per hour. I went from there to Goldies Dept Store, and then to Citizens National Bank. Mom was working at the bank at the same time and she and I always had our lunch at Woolworths lunch counter and we always had an apple dumpling with their special sauce. I loved growing up in Maplewood!!

  13. Interesting photos. The parking meters were a nickel. And if you parked overtime, the parking ticket was an envelope. You could put the fine money in a box near the curb. Was the fine 50 cents maybe?

    • That is a great story, Tom. One I’ve never heard. I wonder how long that method was in practice? The fine may have been 50 cents back then but the equivalent amount today might be a buck 75. Thanks for your recollection.

  14. Seeing all the shops and stores for the wide variety of things I can now understand my wife’s grandparents talking about coming to Maplewood to shop. They used to say the sidewalks were filled with people coming in and out of shops all along Manchester. Just about everything you needed was here.

    I saw one shop I used to go to for work wear and work boots. Blusteins. I want to say Howard was one of the guys who always seemed to be there and I bought several sets of winter work coats, coveralls and all my RedWing work boots there for a number of years.

    • Hey Mark, You are correct. The shops once attracted many people. Blusteins survived the redevelopment. Once they were located on the north side of Manchester as an image above shows. After the disembowelment of the business district occurred, they were located on the south side. I remember going there myself. I, too, wore Red Wings but the shoes not the boots. Great shoes, comfortable, made in the U.S. I still remember what the boots used to cost. I can’t imagine what they cost today. You’d probably need a second mortgage to get a pair. Thanks for your recollection.

      • I bought the RedWings which were something line $110 back 40 years ago. Wonder what they cost now? They were worth it, wore well and lasted. One of the reasons I bought them was the company I worked for gave you something like $50 if you bought steel toed American made boots. Or maybe it was thru the union we were given that. Besides the cost what I remember was how thick the leather was. I usually wore them around the house in the evenings for a week or so to help break them in and get them conformed to my feet.

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