Doug Houser - Maplewood historian

Maplewood History: The McGregor Bakery and the Family Behind It

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A little over 11 months ago I created a post entitled, “A Serendipitous Encounter with the McGregor Family Home and History.” It turned out to be very popular. 46 comments.  Wish they all got that sort of attention. One of the very positive things that came about was that contact was made with some of the descendants of the Maplewood McGregors.  Through their family historian, Doug McGregor, and with input from other family members more information and historic photographs were gained. The task of an editor is deciding what to pass on and what “to leave on the cutting room floor” as Doug McGregor put it.

Maplewood History: A Message From Bill Jones

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I discovered this week that our favorite internet magazine, “40 South News”, courtesy of both Doug Miner, our editor and Doug Houser, our Maplewood historian, is faithfully read by our BJC Extended Care team of outstanding physical therapy instructors.  Their spokesman was Tim Fulte. They all read our little news letter and these classy medical professionals enjoy our “news”. While I was in therapy, Tim suddenly stood up and came across the excellent lab to where I was working out.  He asked, respectfully, “Are you the Billy Jones authoring these Harper Drugs/Ted’s Motors stories we enjoy?”

History

Maplewood History: Once Upon A Time We Had A Temple

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Don’t it always seem to go
You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone? From “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell

The history of Freemasonry (whose practitioners call themselves Masons) is long and complicated. Google it. The list of famous members is also long and mostly male since the Masons were fraternal organizations for most of their history. George Washington was a Mason as were Mark Twain (in St.

Doug Houser - Maplewood historian

Maplewood History: Ted’s Corner to Toasty Subs

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If you’re like me and get more emails than you can possibly read, then I want to say in this first sentence if you haven’t eaten yet at Toasty Subs, you need to get over there.  I don’t know how unusual it is but the menu includes toasty subs and sushi.  This suits my wife and I just fine.  On our recent visits the food has been excellent.  You can find the menu online very easily.

History

Maplewood History: Gender Confusion* at Maplewood High 1941

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Thinking back to my own high school years which all fell in the 1960’s, those were some pretty rough times.  Kids are cruel to each other.  If you had the typical teenage short sightedness which I certainly did, it can be tough to see past it. I hadn’t realized it until I started thinking about this latest information from our memoirist, Bill Jones, but back then regardless of age the women always wore skirts and dresses.  I think.

Doug Houser - Maplewood historian

Maplewood History: Crossing to Safety

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With apologies to Wallace Stegner, crossing to safety or more accurately, crossing safely as been an area of concern for railroad communities for a long while.  Generations have lived in close proximity to the railroad tracks.  Very many have lived right next to them and still do with unfenced yards. Though all sorts of constructions and devices have been created to protect folks from locomotives, now and then the unthinkable occurs. I have been aware of numerous near misses and catastrophes during the time I have lived just a half block or so from the tracks.

History

Maplewood History: The Maplewood Hippodrome

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Those two words together, Maplewood and Hippodrome, just seem crazy, don’t they?  From Merriam-Webster, a hippodrome is an oval stadium for horse and chariot races in ancient Greece or an arena for equestrian performances.  These folks also state that the first known usage of the word was from 1585. If this is true then I have to wonder what did the ancient Greeks call it? Never mind.  This is one of those subjects that I have meant to do a bit more research on but haven’t gotten around to it. So let me just put it out here and perhaps one of my hipster readers may be able to add some information to this Maplewood mystery. As you read this article from a 1914 issue of the Maplewood Champion newspaper pay attention to the construction details.  This was a very substantial building.  I am curious as to how this came to be built in Maplewood and what happened to it?

History

Maplewood History: Billy Jones Unadorned

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Well, it is not the actual Maplewood memoirist Billy Jones who is unadorned here.  It is his latest story which he has been kind enough to send to us.  It is unadorned with photos because I can’t think of any that may relate that you haven’t already seen. After you’ve read the story I’ll provide a few links to the buildings he has mentioned. I hope you are not too disappointed by the misleading title.

History

Maplewood History: The End of a Dry Spell

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I hope. It’s past time for me to put out another blog post of Maplewood History. I have had three in mind, two of which are going to require some research that I can’t seem to get around to doing. The third is a sort of loose idea I’ve had for quite awhile.  It needs more work as well.

History

Maplewood History: Historic Transportation Photograph Available Tonight!

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It is hard to believe that a year has passed since the last Dinner Auction & Awards Ceremony given by our Chamber of Commerce. 

As most of you know the Maplewood Chamber and the Richmond Heights Chamber have merged.  They’re now the Mid County Chamber and they have put together an event that promises to be a lot of fun. They’re calling it their Superstition Ball since it’s happening on Friday the 13th. They have a very large number of really “hip” items that you can bid on and by buying know you are supporting an organization that helps our community.  It’s a great way to give something back. As has been my habit for the last eight or so years (truly I don’t know how long I’ve been doing this) I have created a composite photo from my digital archive.  The theme this year is transportation in historic Maplewood.  Once again the wonderful folks at Frame of Mind picture framing have agreed to enhance my photograph with their top notch skills at their art.  And their practice definitely is an art.  Just take a look at how Mark’s skill put the finishing touch to this donation of ours to the chamber’s auction. These guys at Frame of Mind are good.  The professionals use them and they know a good frame can make or break a photo, painting, map or what-have-you.  You should use them too.  They’re at 2900 South Big Bend in our fair city.  Their phone number is 314-644-4466.  And they are in an historic building!  The Parison Bakery.

History

Maplewood History: 4 Buildings, 3 City Halls and 1 Case of Mistaken Identity

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If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me about our first city hall at the NW corner of Hazel and Sutton, I would probably have 20 or maybe 25 cents by now.  7401 Hazel is a lovely building and one of our oldest commercial ones but it was never our city hall. It was put up in 1898 by Dr. Cape who lived across the street.  To refresh your memory you might like to take a look at this previous post. Cape, Koester and our First City Hall

We are currently using city hall building #3.  I have sifted through my digital archive for what information I can find to answer any questions you may have about our city halls once and for all.  Or at least for a year or so until everyone including me has completely forgotten the contents of this post. To sum it all up, we used city hall #1 for 14 years, city hall #2 for 40 and city hall #3 for 53 and counting.

History

Maplewood History: What Was In That Building On The Corner?

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A couple of weeks ago I got an email from reader Meredith.  She said, “I am looking for some historical information on a building. I’m a big fan of the historic Maplewood blog posts and I’m curious about the building at 7376 Manchester, on the SE corner of Manchester and Sutton. Do you have any information on its original purpose or other history of the building throughout the years? Meredith, I do and here it is.

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.