St. Louis’ Court of Honor, Part 2 — Proposed New Memorial

Yesterday’s post gave you the background on the Court of Honor, opened in 1948 to honor those who died in WWII (read post), later updated to honor those who died in Korea & Vietnam.  Today’s post is about a proposed memorial for all those from the entire state killed in our last three wars: Desert Storm/Desert Shield, Operation Iraqi Freedom, & Operation Enduring Freedom (still ongoing). To date that count is 149 (see list) with roughly 20-30 from the St. Louis area. I posted about this memorial effort from the Missouri Military Memorial Foundation last May.

ABOVE: Rendering of proposal from November 2011, click image to view PDF with more views.

When I first saw the PDF with images in November it looked like the design was created for a generic site, not the Court of Honor block. Last week they presented the design to us along with updated images in the context. From the presentation to the Gateway Mall Advisory Board on January 18, 2012:

“The overall design will feature eight to ten granite star monuments strategically placed around a centerpiece. The Centerpiece will be measure approximately 20 feet in diameter and will house a digital display and speakers that will show videos of the personal stories of the heroes memorialized here, as well as informative videos about the military conflicts these servicemen and women served during. The Centerpiece has an outline of the State of Missouri on the surface and the conflicts represented by the Memorial.

The Star Monuments are solid concrete cores with 2″ granite veneers and will feature plaques of the fallen heroes which will include a black and white photograph of the serviceman or woman, along with information of what city they were from, their branch of service they were in at the time of their sacrifice as well as other information on them. The tops of the Star Monuments  are outlined in gold, again referencing back to the symbolism of the Gold Star family.

Each Star Monument will be able to display up to 28 plaques in total. They will be 6’0″ in height in the front and 9’6″ on the back. All plaques will be placed at or below average eye level so children and those in wheelchairs can easily read them. The paths between the monuments are also in adherence to ADA requirements for wheel chairs [sic] to negotiate around.”

You can read the full presentation handout here (3-page PDF). Initially we focused on the fact the roughly 30′ x 100′ plaza would abut the sidewalk and adjacent parked cars on Chestnut and suggested a landscape buffer. But as we continued discussing the proposal some commented on the darkness of the black granite, the towering size of the star monuments and the formal design in contrast to the adjacent Court of Honor.

ABOVE: Lawn area where proposed memorial would be built

I can’t speak for my fellow members of the Gateway Mall Advisory Board but I stated during our meeting that I didn’t think this proposal was in keeping with the Gateway Mall Master Plan. Interestingly the plan mentions the blocks to the north, east & west of Soldiers’ Memorial but not the block to the south containing the Court of Honor. Unfortunately Parks Director Gary Bess approved the location in 2010.

What changes are compatible with the master plan then if nothing is mentioned? In my view adding memorials within the court of honor for additional wars, as was done for the Korean & Vietnam Wars, is very appropriate. The Court of Honor lists 2,753 soldiers from WWII, 214 from the Korean War and 161 from the Vietnam War — 3,128 in total. These are from St. Louis City & County.

ABOVE: Memorial for the 161 killed in the Vietnam War

The master plan assumes the wide “hallway” will be built along the south edge of the block to tie all the blocks of the Gateway Mall together. A 30′ x 100′ plaza with a video screen a large circle and 8-10 stars taller than me on the green space on the north side of the Court of Honor?  I do feel for the loss they’ve experienced but what goes into this block must be signed to compliment, not compete with, the Court of Honor.

The estimated cost is $1.3 million.  I like to see private funds raised and invested in St. Louis’ public parks but not at the expense of the integrity of the space. I don’t think we should build horizontal plaza spaces in the lawn areas on any of the four sides of the Court of Honor. Doing so will detract from the Court of Honor in the center of the block.

I do think we must add something within the Court of Honor to acknowledge the sacrifice made by the men & women who fought in these three wars. If the names are listed as in previous wars there is room for all 149 from the entire state. One thing that caught my imagination is the video screen and the ability of that to communicate so much more information. My thought is this: add the names inside the Court of Honor, build the hallway on this that will connect to the hallway on other blocks eventually tying the entire Gateway Mall together.

ABOVE: The Gateway Mall master plan calls for this "hallway" to run from Broadway to 20th

Right now we have only two blocks of the hallway, along the south edge of Citygarden. This element will make the primary access point to the Court of Honor block on the south side, not the north.

ABOVE: The Court of Honor as seen from the future hallway with Soldiers' Memorial in the background.

I can imagine an element in the center of the sidewalk, or to one side, that would identify this as the Court of Honor and include an interactive video screen. On screen touch controls would allow someone to find the information on their loved one or watch videos about those honored.  The software could include features for WWII, Korea & Vietnam — such as some of the videos created by Nine Network (KETC).

That’s my thoughts on how to both honor those who gave their lives while also honoring the space and the thousands already honored here. My heart goes out to those trying to memorialize those 149 servicemen & women but I must also think about the 3,128 already memorialized here. The Gateway Mall Advisory Board will meet again via conference call to finalize our recommendations.

- Steve Patterson

St. Louis’ Court of Honor, Part 1 — Background

St. Louis’ “Court of Honor” is an outdoor war memorial in the block bounded by Market, 13th, Chestnut and 14th, this is the block directly south of the WWI Soldiers’ Memorial.

The Court of Honor was designed by architect Eugene Mackey, Jr. and sculptor Hillis Arnold in the Italian Monumental Architecture style and was first created to honor those who were killed during World War II. The center piece of the court is the forty-foot limestone pillar decorated with bas-relief images of soldiers in battle. The pillar itself is designed to resemble a bayonet that has been broken, symbolizing the end of hostilities. Facing the Court of Honor, are the beautiful sculptures by Walker Hancock at the Soldier’s Memorial Military Museum and depict the four virtues of a World War I soldier: Courage, Vision, Loyalty and Sacrifice. Upon completion, the Court of Honor was dedicated and opened to the public on Memorial Day of 1948 with the commemoration of “To our sons and daughters who gave their lives for God and Country.” In the following years, memorials to those St. Louisans who were killed in the Korean and Vietnam Wars were added as bookends the far end of the court. (Source)

The design is respectful of the purpose but is still modern looking after more than six decades. I’m bringing up this block now because a group wants to add memorials to honor those killed in our last three wars: Desert Storm/Desert Shield, Operation Iraqi Freedom, & Operation Enduring Freedom (still ongoing). I posted about their effort last May.

ABOVE: A family walks through St. Louis' Court of Honor, June 2010

Last week they presented their concept to the Gateway Mall Advisory Board, of which I’m a member. Their proposal will be part 2, tomorrow. In short, I was very disappointed by their concept. I’ll get into that in part 2.  Today’s post is the background needed for tomorrow.

ABOVE: Aerial image of the Court of Honor block, click to view in Google Maps

The design is centered in the block but it isn’t symmetrical. It’s a sophisticated design and a nice contrast to the formal symmetry of the Soldiers’ Memorial to the north.

ABOVE: The tall south wall contains names of our WWII fallen

Decades before the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C., the names of those killed in WWII are presented on a wall.

ABOVE: Names of those killed in Korea & Vietnam were added to each end of the central lawn

ABOVE: Close up of the Korean War addition

The Korean & Vietnam war additions weren’t added until 1979 — not long after the latter but decades after the former.

ABOVE: The southeast view of the Court of Honor, Soldiers' Memorial in the background.

The Court of Honor is entered from the south or north. The only wheelchair ramp is at the south entrance, a modification to the original design. Thus for me I consider the south entrance the main entry. This entry also directs you to the beautiful limestone pillar first.

Ninenet (KETC) did a great piece on the Court of Honor:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJHdXk-tYk4

Tomorrow I’ll show you the proposed addition to the block and outline my thoughts.

- Steve Patterson

Soldiers’ Memorial Cornerstone Laid 75 Years Ago Today

Soliders’ Memorial is one of my favorite buildings downtown. It was built to honor the fallen from WWI but it was barely finished before the start of WWII in Europe, opening on Memorial Day 1938.

ABOVE: Mayor Dickman laid the cornerstone 75 years ago

Mayor Bernard F. Dickman laid the cornerstone on this day in 1936. These days we don’t build out of stone so we have ground breaking ceremonies  – a shiny shovel tosses a pile of dirt. Nothing to note the start of the building 75 years later.

ABOVE: Mayor Slay presented a proclamation in front of Soldiers' Memorial declaring Marine Week (June 20-26)

Soldiers’ Memorial has served as the backdrop for many events over the years, including Marine Week this summer.

ABOVE: People enjoy the steps during a downtown festival

ABOVE: The mosaic tile ceiling in the center is impressive

The two galleries are filled with interesting WWI memorabilia. Stop in sometime and check it out.

- Steve Patterson

May 1, 2012 Will Mark the 30th Anniversary of Richard Serra’s ‘Twain’

ABOVE: People checking out Richard Serra's "Twain" in April 2010

Richard Serra’s controversial metal sculpture “Twain” was installed on March 15-17, 1982 and dedicated on Saturday May 1, 1982.

According to a August 25, 1985 St. Louis Post-Dispatch article, by the late George McCue, “the formal name arrived late; at the 1982 dedication it was simply “Quadrilateral.”" I know many of you don’t like Twain, see Readers split on Richard Serra’s “Twain” from April 2010.

The following is what I’d like to see accomplished by the 30th anniversary of “Twain’s” dedication:

1) Extend the wide “hallway” that runs next to Market St in Citygarden. Narrow 10th & 11th streets where the hallway crosses both as was done at 9th.

ABOVE: The Gateway Mall master plan calls for this "hallway" to run from Broadway to 20th

2) Replace the narrow broken sidewalks on the other three sides of the block with new wider sidewalks.

ABOVE: broken sidewalks detract from the block containing Twain

3) Place landscaping grids around the sculpture so grass can grow without having foot traffic create holes that get muddy and collect water.

ABOVE: water collects at the east point of the sculpture

Gateway Mall Advisory Board Approves Kiener Plaza Concept

ABOVE: Model of Kiener Plaza

Last Wednesday the Gateway Mall Advisory Board held it’s quarterly meeting. On the agenda was a presentation from the firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA), landscape architects.  The presenter was Senior Associate Nate Trevethan.

MVVA used the last 90 days to detail their vague proposal.  Here are some of the points that stood out to me:

• No longer proposing underground parking to serve the Arch. Instead they want to fill up the many vacant parking garages downtown, including the two garages across Chestnut St from Kiener Plaza.  One new above grade garage may be built, but the site hasn’t been determined.
• The distance from the Kiener garages to the new museum entrance facing the city is the same as from the current Arch garage to the north leg of the Arch.
• Wayfinding will direct visitors to garages. This will put Arch visitors into downtown at the beginning & end of their Arch visit.
• Pushing the “hallway” south so people can see past the Old Courthouse.
• The eastern end will have a large lawn area that can hold thousands while the western end will have a cafe, beer garden and a series of loop fountains you can walk under.
• A carousel will be in the SE corner (red above).

The role of us on the Advisory Board is to ensure new work on the Gateway Mall is in keeping with the Master Plan, approved in 2009. Here is what the master plan has to say about the space:

Kiener Plaza will continue to be the principal grand civic gathering area for the residents of St. Louis to come together for celebrations and events. Unlike the current design of divided spaces, the new program for the Plaza will create  a unified space that may be used for multiple smaller events or provide a contiguous space for larger events. A redefined, redesigned Kiener Plaza, appropriately programmed, can become a destination for Arch Grounds visitors, helping to draw a larger percentage of these visitors into the downtown. This effort, in turn, helps make the case for creating an improved connection to the Arch Grounds.

It is important that the redesigned Kiener Plaza consider a new performance pavilion that rises above grade, providing a unique architectural statement that is significant both during the day and evening. This will help connect the space more intimately to the city.

The new architecturally significant pavilion on the western edge could combine a performance stage, visitor’s center, restrooms and café. A large performance plaza with seating and a hard-surfaced edge could expand the pavilion’s capacity by extending eastward to the block’s midpoint. Conceptually, it could be enhanced with playful and artful paving that incorporates in-ground lights for nighttime interest, the northern and southern edges will be defined by rows of trees and sculptural light masts that provide performance lighting and light displays. Throughout the Plaza, there should be areas for informal seating, unstructured play and gathering. Adjacent to the light armatures, a series of perimeter gardens could enhance the garden edge along Chestnut and Market Streets. The center of the Plaza provides an excellent location for a skim fountain or other water feature that can be turned off during large events to provide additional space. Textures play a major role in the redesign, with a combination of hard and soft surfaces. The Old Courthouse and the Gateway Arch serve as the backdrop for the eastern edge of the Plaza.

The Gateway One building, situated within the Mall, is accepted as being a part of the landscape. However, any future design changes to this block should consider bringing the portion of the existing raised plaza to the sidewalk level on Market Street, thereby continuing the band of the Hallway.

ABOVE: Steve Smith (Lawrence Group, Mike Kinman (Christ Church) & advisory board chair Andy Trivers (Trivers Associates) look over model following presentation

While MVVA doesn’t have a large pavilion at the western end they do have a smaller one near the center. We unanimously approved the concept, feeling it was in keeping with the spirit intended in the master plan.

ABOVE: winter view of Kiener Plaza with view of upper floors of the Wainwright Building. Click to view larger image

ABOVE: Summer view of Kiener Plaza showning lawn, fountains & movable furniture

Kiener Plaza will be the first element to be completed in the $578.5 million dollar CityArchRiver project with a goal of the fall of 2013. Specifics on costs for this piece are not known yet.

I question the use of the Kiener garages.  They are empty because they are dark, old and falling apart.  They are also privately owned

- Steve Patterson

The MVVA Team Won, Now What? Part II (Kiener Plaza) – Updated

L to R: St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, MVVA team leader Michael Van Valkenburgh, Daniel Wenk - Deputy Dir National Park Service chat following the formal presentation

Friday (9/24/2010) I attended the introduction of the winning team in the FRAMING A MODERN MASTERPIECE | The City + The Arch + The River | 2015 International Design Competition.  The event was held in the rotunda of the Old Courthouse. This is a continuation of my post on Friday when I began looking at the MVVA design in detail.

Over the next 90 days the MVVA team will listen to public feedback.  Michael Van Valkenburgh said he heard plenty about their idea to use cobblestones on the riverfront. Many seem disappointed in the design but I know from my own experience in architecture school back in the 80s that the flashier designs are not always the best from a functional perspective.  I’m looking at the winning design with a critical eye to see where it can be refined and improved, hopefully you will as well.

ABOVE: Kiener Plaza today

For this post I’m looking at the concept for Kiener Plaza, located just west of the Old Courthouse.

Page 126:

“Kiener Plaza becomes a simple bosque that gathers the playful energy of Citygarden and channels it around the Running Man fountain into a formal processional axis facing the Old Courthouse and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. “

Page 129:

“Our proposal unifies all of Kiener Plaza, creating a flat bosque that better connects the eastern end of Citygarden to the Old Courthouse and the Memorial beyond. The bosque features a smooth gradient between formally and informally organized space, and can accommodate everything from large sports rallies to intimate gatherings around a café table. Carefully placed trees frame views of the historic Wainwright Building, and new restrooms and visitor service facilities-including a remote ticketing location-make the Kiener Bosque a natural starting point for a visit to the Memorial.”

I had to start by looking up bosque in Wikipedia:

Bosque is the name for areas of gallery forest found along the flood plains of stream and river banks in the southwestern United States. It derives its name from the Spanish word for woodlands.

The existing sunken Morton May Amphitheater at Kiener Plaza with the Wainwright Bldg in the background

As an appointed member of the Gateway Mall Advisory Board it will be my obligation to see how the proposed Kiener Bosque fits with the Gateway Mall Master Plan, from page 33:

It is important that the redesigned Kiener Plaza consider a new performance pavilion that rises above grade, providing a unique architectural statement during the day and evening. This will help connect the space more intimately to the city.

In plan view the Master Plan envisioned something like this:

Kiener Plaza as envisioned in the Gateway Mall Master Plan

So how does MVVA’s Kiener Bosque fit with the above? It doesn’t –  in a good way.

Plan view of MVVA's Kiener Bosque

The MVVA design continues the “hallway” that will eventually run the length of the Gateway Mall, to the north of Market Street. It includes a visitor’s center (top center), restrooms (bottom left), and a water feature (existing).  The space between the fountain and Broadway can be used for the “unstructured play & gatherings” of the Master Plan, but otherwise it is a complete departure.     I  would imagine we will need to formally amend the Master Plan before we can sign off on this design.

Artist rendering of Kiener Bosque

The Kiener Bosque unites the space as one, rather than being different on each side of the former 6th Street. I personally like the simplicity but I do have questions.

• Is seating anticipated in the two block area? If so, what type? Fixed benches? Movable tables & chairs?
• What is the vision for the lighting? Up lighting in the trees? Subtle bollards?
• What about the materials used?
• Will the restrooms be self-cleaning?

The next quarterly meeting of the Gateway Mall Advisory Board is Wednesday October 20, 2010 at 5pm.  The location is the conference room at the Partnership for Downtown St. Louis, 720 Olive Suite 450.  MVVA has been asked to have a representative address the board. I don’t know yet if this will be on our agenda but the meeting is open to the public. Update 9/30/2010 — MVVA will not be able to attend the 10/20 meeting.

- Steve Patterson

Remembering the fallen of past wars

ABOVE: St. Louis Soldiers Memorial

It took war to gain our independence as a country.  Since 1776 we have been in many wars and had many casualties. In the early 20th century grand civic spaces became fashionable in cities.  Engineer Harland Bartholomew headed up St. Louis’ planning efforts from 1916-1950.

His name is on the cornerstone of Soldiers Memorial Military Museum, which was laid on November 11, 1936. The memorial was built to remember those who gave their lives during World War I (1914-1919).  From the Soldiers’ Memorial website:

Under the leadership of Mayor Bernard F. Dickmann, and with some funds coming from the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works (Project No. 5098), the construction of the building, development of the memorial plaza, and improvements to the parks began on October 21, 1935 and the memorial and museum officially opened on Memorial Day, May 30, 1938.

So many years after the fact.

ABOVE: View to south, across Chestnut St

To the south is the memorial for those who died in WWII.

The Court of Honors was dedicated in 1948 — not long after the end of the war.  This new memorial was a sunken open garden rather than a formal & elevated building.  I find it fascinating that in a dozen years the idea of a memorial changed so much.  Or perhaps many still remembered the construction of the building across the street and they viewed the new garden as a compliment.

Later additions were made in the center to honor those from the Korean (1950-1953) and Vietnam (1955-1975) wars.  Of course our involvement in wars didn’t end in 1975. Have we continued wars but not memorials? What about Desert Storm (8/1990 – 2/1991 ), Enduring Freedom (2001-2002) and the Iraq War (2003-present)?  Who knows, perhaps something has been added to this area regarding Desert Storm?

It just feels like, as a society, we’ve become so detached from war and the resulting deaths.  Last week marked 17 years since my oldest brother’s retirement from the U.S. Navy after serving 24 years.  Yes, I was only two when he enlisted. On Independence Day four years ago I ran a commentary from my brother, here is an excerpt:

We often take our freedoms for granted. The overused expression “Freedom is not free,” is certainly applicable today. Neither of my daughters, neither of my brothers and only one of my sons-in-law ever served in the military and I believe that they missed out on some priceless life lessons. While it is held that people who do not vote do not have credibility to criticize our politicians, I believe that serving in the military or some type of public service is another fundamental role of being an American. We all seem to enjoy our freedoms and demand that our worldwide interests be protected. The difficulty arises when we relegate these tasks to those who most Americans, especially the privileged, view as incapable of doing anything else with their lives.

As an openly gay man I wouldn’t have had the same experience as my straight brother. Because I did not serve I do feel indebted to him and all the other who have served or are serving currently. While I’m not a fan of war, I do favor remembering those who come back — both alive and dead.  I hope that as this area of the Gateway Mall evolves we can make it more than just a big place for festivals.

- Steve Patterson

Extending “hallway” element must be a top priority for the Gateway Mall

The hallway — that wide sidewalk along the north side of Market St — is what will eventually tie the blocks of the Gateway Mall together.

ABOVE: "Hallway" in Citygarden as seen from the block with Richard Serra's Twain

Unfortunately as well designed as Citygarden is, when built they didn’t plan to connect the hallway element to the blocks to the east and west. The crossing at 9th Street meets the design criteria of the master plan but at 8th and a 10th it was somehow forgotten. Hopefully we will get all the blocks from Broadway (5th)  and 20th.  Right now we have only the two between 8th and 10th.  Going forward we will need to make sure as each block is done that we plan ahead for the next adjacent block.

- Steve Patterson

The architecture of Memorial Day in downtown St. Louis

To the men & women who have served, or are serving, in our armed forces -  thank you!

ABOVE: a parade passes in front of Soldiers Memorial between 13th-14th on Chestnut

Our Soldiers Memorial building and area was conceived to honor those who served in WWI (1914-1918):

“The initiative to construct a memorial plaza and memorial building to honor the gallant sons and daughters of Missouri, and of our city, who “made the supreme sacrifice in the World War”, began in 1923. Over the course of several years, the City of St. Louis and its citizens raised money for the project. Under the leadership of Mayor Bernard F. Dickmann, and with some funds coming from the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works (Project No. 5098), the construction of the building, development of the memorial plaza, and improvements to the parks began on October 21, 1935 and the memorial and museum officially opened on Memorial Day, May 30, 1938.”  (Source)

So the memorial was completed 20 years after the war was over, five times as long as the war itself.  St. Louis’ mayor offered these words 72 years ago:

“This magnificent edifice, erected as a perpetual reminder of the valor and sacrifice that has enabled America to live, will spur us on as a people to make America greater. We, who live, because others have died, should make of this shrine a place of love and a monument of peace.”

- Mayor Bernard F. Dickmann, May 30, 1938

ABOVE: Soldier's Memorial yesterday fenced off for an event

Chestnut was once the street used for parades with the steps of the memorial providing a good viewing platform but at some point we moved parades to Market Street.

- Steve Patterson

Aloe Plaza dedicated 70 years ago today

ABOVE: The sculpture 'Meeting of the Waters' by Carl Milles located in the center of Aloe Plaza

Saturday May 11, 1940 the public plaza known as “Aloe Plaza” was dedicated – seventy years ago today.The population in 1940 was 816,048, more than double our current population.

Located across Market St from Union Station, Aloe Plaza, has a long history:

The central corridor of St. Louis, from Tucker Boulevard (formerly Twelfth Street) on the east to Grand Boulevard on the west, was densely populated at the turn of the twentieth century. The area was a mixture of mansions and tenements, shops of all kinds, businesses, factories, dance halls, taverns, clubs, restaurants, churches, schools and other institutions.

Civic Improvement League, organized in 1901, called for razing the area to create a central parkway. The 1920s saw the clearing out of a portion of the area with the creation of the Soldiers Memorial and Plaza, Kiel Auditorium, the widening of Market Street and the construction of the Aloe Plaza opposite Union Station.

Development of the Aloe Plaza was made possible by an $87 million bond issue in 1923. The funds were used for widening Olive Street and the clearance and development of land for several plazas in the area bounded by Market, Chestnut, 12th and 20th Streets.

Aloe Plaza was named in honor of Louis P. Aloe, who died in 1929. He served as President of the Board of Alderman from 1916 to 1923 and led the movement for passage of the bond issue.

In 1909 the two block area that would become Aloe Plaza contained many buildings, including seven hotels:

ABOVE: 1909 Sanborn Map. Source: Univ of MO Digital Library

The story of why the Civic Improvement League targeted this area for redevelopment is fascinating and unknown to me until yesterday.  A shooting in St. Louis led to the song Frankie and Johnny and several movies.  Here is the history as told on the Wikipedia entry for the song:

It has been suggested that the song was inspired, or its details influenced, by one or more actual murders. One of these took place in St. Louis, Missouri, on October 15, 1899, when Frankie Baker, a 22-year-old dancer, stabbed (or shot) her 17-year-old lover Allen “Al” Britt, who was having a relationship with a woman named Alice Pryor. Britt died of his wounds two days later. On trial, Baker claimed that Britt had attacked her with a knife and that she acted in self-defense; she was acquitted and died in a Portland, Oregon mental institution in 1952.

The shooting took place at a boarding house on a street the ran perpendicular to Market St between 14th & 15th.  This street was later eliminated from the grid for the construction of the Kiel Opera House, which opened in 1934.  To the west at 18th you had Union Station which had opened just 5 years prior to the shooting in 1894.  Visitors arrived in St. Louis via train but civic leaders didn’t like the elements that surrounded the station.  Reasons given was the area was rundown and dangerous — I think it was because the area was predominantly black.  At a time when segregation was the norm, St. Louis didn’t want to welcome visitors to the black part of town.  Keep in mind the new train station was far west when built.

The song was a huge hit with many variations and led to films in 1936, 1966 and 1991.  Here is the trailer to the 1966 film starring Elvis Presley:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IDmVrECDi4

The actual people involved in the 1899 shooting were black, not white.

ABOVE: The sculpture 'Meeting of the Waters' by Carl Milles located in the center of Aloe Plaza

The city’s 1947 Master Plan indicates “The Aloe Plaza and Milles Fountain make a distinguished gateway to the city.” The cost listed was $2,600,000.  The sculpture and fountain by Milles was controversial at the time:

The fountain, originally named “The Wedding of the Rivers,” depicts the union of the Missouri and the Mississippi Rivers, represented by the two central figures. Accompanying the two main figures and forming a wedding procession are 17 water spirits, symbolic of the smaller streams that empty into the two major rivers.

An uproar arose over the nudity of the male figure, representing the Mississippi River and the female figure, the Missouri River. In deference to the criticism, the name of the fountain was changed to ,”The Meeting of the Waters.”

I think we should restore the name to “The Wedding of the Rivers” as originally intended by Miles.

ABOVE: St. Louis Union Station as seen from Aloe Plaza

Note that when Aloe Plaza was dedicated 70 years ago the buildings along the riverfront were just being razed.  The competition that gave us the Arch wasn’t held until 7 years later.  Clearly the city was busy razing buildings in many areas.  Despite my issues with the bad planning and reactionary policies that got us to today, the sculpture and fountain in Aloe Plaza always make me smile.

- Steve Patterson