History

Maplewood History: Dinky Streetcar by Billy Jones, Followed by a Veritable Cornucopia of Maplewood Streetcar Photos

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In Maplewood, we youngsters from Lyndover Elementary School once monthly took our tour on our “Dinky” streetcar. Where Lindbergh now meets Big Bend were streetcar tracks and a trolley wire over Big Bend. Big trucks did not drive on Big Bend. Our yellow “Dinky” streetcar stopped for us on the east side of Big Bend and our conductor manually took the fare box from the front to the back pole. He then engaged the rear trolley wire and tied down the front trolley wire.

History

Maplewood History: Yale Loop Fire

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No one asked for this post. I ran one of these images in my previous post, “Night of the Cobras”.  I had a thought while looking at the Yale Loop Fire file that my blog followers would probably like to see these other images.  That day it was 104 degrees in Maplewood.  Perhaps that explains part of the appeal of these images to me.

History

Maplewood History: Night of the Cobras

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A photograph sent by a reader, Michele, started me thinking about how we traded our original old streetlights for the modern (at the time) cobra heads.  Then how our taste flipped and we gratefully deep sixed the cobra heads only to replace them with guess what?  Faithful reproductions of the originals.  

Then I started to think about some of the really wonderful streetlights that I’ve seen in Europe and I wondered have they kept them all along?  If they have how is it that they’re smarter than us?

History

Maplewood History: Where The Clean Air Is—Maplewood!

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By now Bill Jones should need no introduction.  He is very good at supplying me with these short sketches from his experiences here in Maplewood.  I’ve been less good at getting them posted.  I know you’ll enjoy this one titled:

Where The Clean Air Is–Maplewood! In 1934, we moved to Maplewood because mother had a lung condition (indicating possible TB).

History

Maplewood History: Tales of the Harper’s Pharmacy by Bill Jones

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These stories that Mr. Jones has been submitting are priceless.  I’m not sure whether I should refer to him as Bill, Will or Billy but no matter.  His stories let us understand past life in our community that we couldn’t possibly imagine otherwise.  I’m sure you’ll enjoy his latest called:

My Lesson in Growing Up

February 5, 1939–My sister said,  It’s Mr. Harper calling for Billy.”  Mr. Harper asked me, “Will you be twelve tomorrow?

History

Maplewood History: The Magnificent Cabinetry of the Harper’s Pharmacy Saved!

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Now this is a story I’ve been wanting to post for a long time.  Three years anyhow.  Those of you who have been following this blog for that long will recall that is when the magnificent cabinetry of the original Harper’s Pharmacy was removed so the space could be restored. You may also recall how many of us were upset with Mr. John Hickey, director of the local chapter of the Sierra Club because he chose not to have the cabinets returned to the place they had been since their installation in 1926.  We had an almost completely intact interior of an historic pharmacy, a time capsule of our community, miraculously survive until that April of 2014.

History

Maplewood History: The Paul Revere of Maplewood?

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My last post featured a story from 1910 in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that told of a serious yet completely forgotten explosion in Maplewood. It came to light from the furious digging of Maplewood history aficionado, Luke Havel. Commenting on that post, Luke pointed out that there was another very interesting Maplewood related story on the opposite side of that front page. I agreed.

History

Maplewood History: An Explosive Article Brought to Light by the Research of Luke Havel

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Some posts are easier than others. This is one of the easiest of all. For me it is like shooting fish in a barrel even though I can’t imagine why anyone would ever want to do that. For those of you who may be young enough to be unfamiliar with the phrase, like shooting fish in a barrel implies that something is as easy as taking candy from a baby even though I can’t imagine why anyone would do that either. Enough of this.

History

Maplewood History: More on the 1970s Redevelopment That Didn’t Happen and One That Did.

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My co-author, Joyce Cheney, did a good job describing these events in our book, “The First 100 Years, Maplewood, MO.”  Writing from her own research, she had this to say. Attention K-Mart Shoppers

James O. Holton, president of Citizen’s National Bank in Maplewood decided to take redevelopment into his own hands. Holton gathered fifty-seven local businessmen at The St. Louis Club and presented his vision for redevelopment: a six-block stretch of Manchester Avenue and surrounding streets, from Oakview Terrace to Big Bend would be rebuilt with retail venues in a park-like setting.

History

Maplewood History: Last Days of the Wedge

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If you’ve been following the action here at Maplewood History you already know that Jim Fischer, whose family had early connections to Maplewood, gifted us with a good-sized box of  crumbling, brown newspapers and other items that had once belonged to his parents.  

He also threw in a small box of interesting old pamphlets that have nothing at all to do with Maplewood.  They once belonged to a neighbor.  I’ll have to get her story from Jim once more. I’ll post some of the more interesting of those possibly under a title such as, “Completely Unrelated Stuff Found While Looking for Maplewood History”.

History

Maplewood History: The Wedge, Route 66 and Reller Chevrolet Revisited

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First exhibited on Dec. 4, 2013 all of the photos that accompanied this blog post then had somehow dissipated into nothingness.  Given the recent interest in the Wedge and EJ Tire I decided to reload it.  Or perhaps since this is an article about a tire seller I should call this post a retread of the original. For those of you who know nothing about retreads, I can tell you I had a few.