This is the second installment to feature the historic postcards of Maplewood. If you haven’t read Part One, you can link to it here.
The first historical society in Maplewood was called the Renaissance Society. They were active in the early 1980s. I remember they sponsored a house tour. I think they also sponsored alley cleanups and that sort of thing. The organization was apolitical.
In 1983, for the 75th Anniversary of the founding of our city, they made a film. I’m fairly certain that our library has a copy of it. I believe it is on a VHS tape. That is something that we ought to digitize and put on YouTube. Librarians, what do you say?
The Renaissance Society also created a slideshow. In 2008, I digitized many of the images from it to use in my first book, The First 100 Years, Maplewood MO. Copies of which are still available at our friendly C of C, 7326A Manchester, 314-781-8588. You might want to call first. Or you can also pick one up at Scheidt Hardware (True Value to you newcomers) just to the east of the Chamber at 7320 Manchester. Open until 6PM Monday thru Saturday.
We are in debt to the Renaissance Society folks for many of the historic images that we now have. But what we have are copies of the originals. Somewhere in the collection of historic material at our library there may be a record of where the originals were found. But I don’t recall ever seeing one. It would be semi-useful, I suppose, since 41 years have passed since they were collected.
Well, we’re glad that they did collect them. Here’s another look at some of our historic postcards.
This postcard is an early advertisement for Bartold’s Grove. Since it is a drawing, I wonder if it predates most photographs? You can link to my earlier posts about Bartold’s Grove here.
The back of the previous postcard. The telephone number may be a clue to the age of this postcard. I guess that’s it – Bartold 129X.
Looking through my files, I found another one of the M.E. Church which had been featured in Part One. 7289 is a stock number. This building was destroyed by fire in 1914. This view is looking towards the east. The streetcar tracks are in the middle of what is now Flora Ave. Just beyond the church is the intersection with Sutton Ave. The Koester home at 7395 Flora is the first home that can be seen. You can link to my post about it here.
The photographer was standing at the end of the 7200 block of Manchester when he captured this image. The building on the right once contained the Maplewood Bank. Just beyond it is the intersection of Oakview Terrace. The turreted building on the left today is the home of the Maplewood Deli, sans turret. Just beyond it is the intersection of Marshall Ave.
The Maplewood Deli on the 26th of September this year.
The above 1917 postcard was discovered online by Mary Piles, resident historian of our CNB bank. Thank you, Mary, for sharing this with us.
The back of the previous postcard.
The above is a composite image that I made in 2013. The image on the bottom is absolutely priceless. Too bad we don’t know the location of the original. We’re looking west at the south side of the 7300 block of Manchester. The spectacular brick building on the corner of Marshall was demolished in the mid 1970s. At the same time we lost another similar building just to the west of this and the alley infill building between them. The streetcar captured in motion is especially rare.
This image from the 1970s gives us a better view of the three lost buildings.
The Sutton School was once located on the block bounded by the streets, Cambridge and Greenwood, and St. Elmo and Piccadilly. It was replaced by a mid-century modern building in the 1960s which was in turn replaced by a row of condominiums.
This school was known as the Valley School due to its location near the Bartold Valley which was the site of our earliest post office. The location was on the south side of Manchester directly across from our current city hall. An apartment complex is at this location today. All that remains of the Valley School is a stone wall that once surrounded it.
The back of the previous postcard.
From memory, this is from the 1911 History of St. Louis County by William Lyman Thomas.
If you would like to know more about the Sutton and Thomas families, click here.
Sometimes the class photos were put on postcards.
The back of the previous postcard.
Wow! We have a lot more vintage postcards in our archives than I thought. Looks like, I’ll definitely have to create a Part Three to this series.
Our weather has cooled a bit but it’s still beautiful. I remember needing to wear a jacket at this time of year in the past. Not so this year.
I believe in science. Climate change is real and a tremendous threat to life on our planet. Don’t worry about the planet. It’ll make it but unless we elect leaders who will take action immediately, human beings may not.
As always, I appreciate your interest and support.
Doug Houser October 9, 2024
Absolutely wonderful, fascinating, and important work, Doug! Thank you.
You are welcome, Margaret. Thanks for the kind words. I’m still enjoying it.
I so appreciate more photos I of tge Methodist church (still going strong!!) And I had never seen pictures of the original Sutton School. I attended K-6 there. (Mr Bruce, the principal, asked each Sixth grader in individual visits to his office, what we wanted to do/be when we finished school. I said, “be a teacher.” I was that and a teacher of teachers too.I remember it to this day. I was 11 years old.) I remember so well the interiors but not this exterior. Nor the old Valley School either. Thx so very much, Doug! Note: I’m the eldest and will send a copy to my brothers and sister if they haven’t seen them. We all graduated from there! Bonnie Paulsmeyer’s mom started in the cafeteria there and went on to lead food service district-wide by the time we were in High School. Tilly gave me the sugar cube sweet 16 corsage my mother sent in the cafeteria on my September birthday. They lived on Flora and we lived on Elm, the next street over in the 7300s. Great memories!! Again, Thank you so much!!
You are very welcome, PL. Thank you for sharing your memories.
Thanks for posting this interesting history. I lived on Moeller Ave in the late 80’s early 90’s. You did a story on that house and the history of the Shoe company family that built it. Always a good read.
You are welcome, Jim. I am glad that you are enjoying the posts. Thanks for weighing in.