ABOVE: Dumas Public School was located on Lucas just west of 14th, all razed when 14th was extended to Washington. 1909 Sanborn map via UMSL Digital Library (click image to view source)
In researching the Dumas Public School, razed long ago, I came across an interesting tidbit about the school’s principal, Arthur D. Langston. The following appeared in the New York Times on December 8, 1907:
URGES NEGROES TO BE POLITE Colored School Principsal Advises His Race — Corrects Statement.
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 7. – Prof. Arthur D. Langston, Principal of the Dumas Public School of St. Louis, in addressing the Missouri Negro Republican League delegates here a few days ago, was erroneously reported as having said that  “no negro should occupy a seat while a white woman stands, and dirty negros should not be allowed on the street cars at all.”
In his address Prof. Langston said: “Colored people and whites associate more intimately in the street cars than in other places; therefore, it becomes a matter of great importance that we conduct ourselves properly in “every way on street cars. Â Let the negro make the white man ashamed by never occupying a seat while a lady is standing.”
Wow, huge difference between the two! Mr. Langston (1855-1908) died the following April at the age of 52, he is buried in Nashville TN.
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 “Twainâ€Â from April 2010.
The following is what I’d like to see accomplished by the 30th anniversary of “Twain’s” dedication:
1)Â 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
Not much else is needed in my view. Â The “hallway” needs to be completed regardless of what happens with the rest of the block.
Three years ago this month, a group of 10 downtown residents began efforts to clean up and  activate Lucas Park. The intent was not to run out the homeless, but to give the park the love it hadn’t received so the non-homeless would also feel welcomed in the public park.
ABOVE: Clogged drains led to the accumulation of mud, September 2008ABOVE: After removing the mud and unclogging the drain, September 2008
The park lacked basic maintenance but loft dwellers and numerous homeless individuals worked together on several days that Fall to clean up the park. Many residents wanted a place where they could let their dogs run off-leash. The former playground of the Children’s Center was used for a while but it had serious shortcomings. After a design charrette in November 2008 it was clear to me a few others wanted to filter all communications in the group. My last involvement was in March 2009.
ABOVE: Aerial view of Lucas Park. Original playground/dog run on right with new dog run at the topABOVE: I was welcomed at the opening of the new dog park on April 3, 2010
Other than attend the opening of the dog park I’ve stayed away and not been involved, letting others do their thing.
ABOVE: New benches were added, the old USSR must have had a sale
In December 2010 the Missouri Secretary of State’s office dissolved the non-profit Lucas Park Beautification Project for not filing an annual report. The board and the city were unaware of this until I inquired recently.  Really? I’ve come to the conclusion this group is much like a high school clique, a small social group unwelcoming to others. The website, downtownstl10.org, hasn’t been updated since mid-2009. I was told applications could be picked up in person at Washington Ave Post, so I asked for one on my last visit and scanned it (view). By way of contrast, the Frenchtown Dog Park has the logical URL of FrenchtownDogPark.com where the application and dues can be completed online. The Shaw Dog Park is part of the Shaw neighborhood and can be found at www.shawstlouis.org/dogpark/ – rules and applications are also online. The SW City Dog Park in Wilmore Park is located at www.swcitydogpark.org. The Central West End dog park is at www.cwedogparks.com and like all the others the rules and applications are online. A new resident searching online for dog parks might not locate downtown because they wouldn’t find the one in Lucas Park. I knew I had to get back involved, I just couldn’t allow this small group to be the only downtown residents involved in the park that is just 2 blocks from my loft. It’s a public park, they hold no monopoly on it. Lucas Park, like me, is now part of the 5th ward rather than the 6th ward. Alderwomen April Ford Griffin (D-5) says she welcomes “input from all the residents.”  Good. I believe efforts must be on the ground and in the cloud. For the latter I set up the following to help with communications:
I don’t know at this point where this will go. I do know open communications on issues is a must. – Steve Patterson
Update Wednesday September 14, 2011 @ noon: Turns out there is a website for the dog park — lucasparkdogpark.com. Rules posted? Nope. Membership cost? No. Application form? Negative. Â The only thing you can do is submit your email address so someone can contract you. Â Oh yeah, the non-profit is still dissolved by the Secretary of State (view).
Recently I attended the open house for Trailnet’s new offices at 10th & Locust. The offices are nice but it was their view to the south that really got my attention.
ABOVE: View of Bride's House from Trailnet's new 2nd floor office
On the right is the long-vacant Bridge’s House building built in 1886. On the left is the renovated building that has Left Bank Books and Bridge Tap House on the ground floor and rental lofts on the upper floors. By contrast it looks very modern but it was built just four years later, in 1890.
The contrasts are what is so great! First, the floor levels don’t align with each other. Misguided historic standards in some neighborhoods require new construction to align perfectly with adjacent structures. The Materials and colors are also quite different, although brick is used on both buildings.
Then there is the blade sign from the 20th century, a real gem of a sign.
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