Anthropology 291, Honors 353: Oral History of the City	Professor John B. Wolford
Ref. No. 10340 (Anthro 291) 3 credits Ref. No. 25830(Honors 353) 3 credits Fall semester, 2001 University of Missouri÷St. Louis Class room: Clark Hall 417 Class time: TR 4:00 - 5:15 p.m. Wolford's web page: http://www.umsl.edu/~wolfordj	Office Hours: TR 5:45 - 6:45 p.m.;  and by appointment on TR  Anthro Dept. Clark Hall 516 JBW Phone: 516-6474 (TR)  746-4560 (MWF) 516-6020 (dept.) Email: wolfordj@msx.umsl.edu

Websites to explore:

• http://google.yahoo.com/bin/query?p=skinker-debaliviere&hc=0&hs=0
• results of a web search I did to find sites with Skinker-Debaliviere in their pages

 
• http://stlouis.missouri.org/skinkerdebaliviere/
• the official St. Louis site for Skinker-DeBaliviere, as set up by the neighborhood

 
• http://www.mstl.org/neighborhood/index.html
• map of the city of St. Louis, with some of the neighborhoods marked
• from the website of Metropolis St. Louis

• http://rescomp.wustl.edu/~och/parkview/kingsbury/kingsbury.html
• Washington University website advertising rentals in Skinker-Debaliviere for WU-affiliated tenants

• http://www.stlouiscitypolicedept.org/c_stats/CRIME1.HTMl
• 1997 crime statistics for all of the different CDA neighborhoods in St. Louis city

• http://stlouis.missouri.org/neighborhoods/index.html
• The home page for the City of St. Louis's neighborhoods initiative
• includes a complete map of the city's neighborhoods (all 79 CDA [Community Development Agency] neighborhoods)
• http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/gmd:@field(NUMBER+@band(g4164sm+gpm00001))
• Digitized form of Compton & Dry maps of St. Louis, from 1876

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Harleman, Kathleen M, Georgiana B. Stuart, and Susan K. Tepas.  The neighborhood: a history of Skinker-DeBaliviere.  St. Louis: Printed under the auspices of the Residential Service of the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council, May, 1973.

Discusses:

• the earliest owners of the land: Madame Mary Louise Chouteau Papin, her heirs, and relatives
• the history of the landmarks: River Des Peres, Forest Park, World's Fair, and the naming of the streets
• history of the subdividing of the area for residential living: 1901-1907
• the shaping of the area: 1908 - 1920
• the undocumented history, or, the “maturing” of the neighborhood: 1920 - 1973



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• Large extended family of Madame Chouteau and Pierre Laclede came to own the land

• deeded originally to Mme Mary Louise Chouteau Papin in 1796

• descended to her children or sold to her relatives

• in the family through much of the 19th century, in all or part

• transactions from 1873-1901 are unclear

The history of the landmarks: River Des Peres, Forest Park, World's Fair, Washington University, and the naming of the streets

• the land was the basis for speculation based on the development of Forest Park
• Hiram Leffingwell,  land speculator and promoter, promoted the development of a park off of the Catlin Tract (the Lindell Avenue homes area of today)
• he bought his property in late 1860s for this purpose
• inspired by property valuations around Central Park in NYC

 
• Forest Park Act passed in 1874, FP opened in 1876
• same year as the separation of city and county
• FP was the focus of StL’s efforts to land the 1892 WF celebrating Columbus's travels
• failed, but provided the structure and impetus for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904

 
• Washington University
• incorporated in 1853, and situated at 17th and St. Charles
• moved to present location just prior to the World's Fair, and was incorporated into the WF activities-Olympics at Francis Field
• had not moved formally into the campus by 1904, so buildings were rented out to the WF

 
• Naming of the streets—

 
• primarily named after owners, many descendants or affines of or connections to Chouteau family
• Kingsbury
• DeGiverville
• Waterman
• DeBaliviere
• Important businessmen
• Lindell (Peter and Jesse, who also owned vast tracts in area)
• McPherson (William M., lawyer & real estate)
• Delmar
• named after the two states 2 bordering landowners came from-MD & DE
• Landowner
• Skinker
• Others
• Washington-named for George
• Laurel-named for a tree, because it was a continuation of a subdivision whose streets were named for trees
• Hamilton-for Hamilton Gamble, governor of MO
• Pershing-originally named Berlin for the German city, but then changed to Pershing after the MO-born general, during the anti-German sentiment in WW1
• FP Parkway-after the park
• Westminster-after the Cathedral, probably
• Unknown reasons for the naming
• Rosedale
• Nina Place-although the name of a development company later, that developed Washington Heights Addition 1 (the current Washington Heights)

History of the subdividing of the area for residential living: 1901-1907

• the area had been in more or less casual use for decades before it became developed for residential/commerical use
• the main problem for development was the snaking, erratic River Des Peres, which ran through the middle of the area [under what is now Des Peres Avenue]

 
• 1901: Parkview Realty and Improvement Company was incorporated, and controlled almost the entire area of what is now Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood
• an association of wealthy and connected men who invested $5.5 million to control this area
• publicly, asserted that they were having financial difficulties: debt for development, improvements, etc.
• by 1903: Parkview had developed the Catlin Tract, from Union to Skinker, with streets, sewers, sidewalks, landscaping, etc.
• it would eventually lease the land to the World's Fair for its Pike area

 
• 1903: Parkview Realty and Improvement Company issued an apparently private prospectus to form a new company (presumably Beredith Realty [p.29])
• purpose: to purchase the Parkview area and develop it
• the underlying purpose was to exploit the economic advantages of the imminent 1904 Worlds' Fair
• 1905: Parkview Realty and Improvement Company filed a plat for the Parkview Subdivision
• the area was set up as a private place, with trustees
• it remained as a trust until 1966, when it moved to agency control [p. 29]
• 1908: first year someone was officially registered as a resident (although people had been living there for several years before)
• the delay was probably because of a lawsuit with the architect (Swasey), resolved by 1908

 
• 1905: Parkview Realty and Improvement Company sold out all their interest in the rest of the area to West End Realty
• Delmar to Forest Park Parkway, Skinker to DeBaliviere, except for a small portion of the northeast corner, which Parkview had never owned
• this is the bulk of the current Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood
• presumably, Parkview Realty and improvement company maintained ownership of the Catlin Tract

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The shaping of the area: 1908 - 1920

• Important to note:
• The area was developed from West to East
• The housing (in general) became smaller and more dense [from single family to multi-family] from West to East

 
• To orient you to block addresses:
• 6200 and higher: Parkview
• 6000 and 6100 blocks: Rosedale area
• 5700-5900: Washington Heights area (the former Washington Heights 1st Addition)

• 1908: First year residents are listed as living in the area
• 17 families in Parkview
• 5 families in "Washington Heights Subdivision" [the area now called the Rosedale neighborhood]

 
• 1909: Washington Heights 1st Addition [most of the current Washington Heights area, excepting the northeast corner] was platted
• In 1911, this area in particular was developed with the idea of streetcar access forefronted
• that is, it was targeting renters and middle-class residents
• whereas the current Rosedale area and Parkview Subdivision targeted upper-class owners
• first apartment buildings went up in 1911
• curiously the developer was Nina Realty Company, not West End Realty, who had owned it in 1907
• whether it had been sold to Nina Realty the book does not say
• 1912: 1st single-family homes built, and first residents listed for the current Washington Heights area

 
• Explosive growth in the first few years, among a diverse group of people
• people from established families
• 2nd generation German, Italian and Irish immigrant families, moving on up
• professionals
• clergymen
• architects
• Realtors
• physicians
• railroad management
• lawyers
• businessmen

 
• 1912: development of Washington Heights 2nd Addition platted
• Kingsbury and Westminster from DeBaliviere to Laurel
• equivalent to the current Kingsbury Square area
• Edward K. Love Realty Company

 
• Local schools developed
• Hamilton School [elementary]
• began in 1914-15 school year with portable buildings
• 1914-1918: current building was built
• St. Roch's Catholic
• 1912: the school building was completed

 
• Churches
• St. Roch's parish
• 1911: purchased the tract on which the church now stands, at Rosedale and Washington
• 1922: the entire church, rectory, and school were completed and operational
• Grace Methodist
• on NE corner of Waterman and Skinker
• originated as Union Methodist Episcopal Church on Lucas and Garrison in 19th century
• moved west with the congregation in 1892 to SW corner of Lindell and Newstead
• moved west with congregation again to current site, where ground was broken in 1913, completed in 1914
• they moved the entire church, stone by stone
• [New Cote Brilliante] Baptist Church
• formerly the Delmar Baptist Church, as discussed in this article
• built on the corner of Skinker and Washington in 1918-1919
• oldest congregation, dating back to 1877
• also began on Piety hill, around Lucas and Garrison

• covers undocumented history of the area, from the 1920s through the early 1970s
• includes reminiscences of:
• childhood activities
• shops and other businesses
• restaurants
• individuals
• as eccentric characters
• as important business and community leaders
• characterized by a sense of nostalgia

• also tries to explain the decline from the mid-1950s through the early 1970s
• continuing westward expansion impulse
• booming housing out in the county
• westward expansion of businesses, to go where the population was going
• move of on-site landlords, becoming absentee landlords
• destruction of Mill Creek Valley
• displacement of huge numbers of people
• older buildings that needed improvements

• neighborhood associations developed
• 1958: Washington Heights Neighbors was the first
• primary initial concern was the attrition of housing value and the maintenance of housing codes
• additional foci:
• police action
• traffic concerns
• recreation and education
• sanitation
• the area: the current Washington Heights area and Kingsbury Square area [not Rosedale or Parkview]
• Rosedale-Skinker Improvement Association developed afterwards

• Social/Cultural expansions
• schools expanded their physical presence with increased enrollments
• St. Roch's
• Hamilton
• 1963: St. Louis Public Library opened up a branch, which was moved to the southeast corner of Des Peres and Kingsbury in 1970
• 1972: Loop West End People's Clinic opened up

• 1966: Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council was formed
• sites: 5800 Delmar, then to 425 deBaliviere upstairs, then to 425 DeBaliviere downstairs, then to 404 deBaliviere, and now to 6008 Kingsbury

• 1970: Establishment of the Residential Service
• a volunteer realty organization
• formed to ensure high quality of housing and adherence of housing codes
• activist group to ensure the maintenance of standards

• 1970s: people began to move back into the neighborhood as owners, not as renters

• Kingsbury Redevelopment Corporation created
• by the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council
• as a response to battle the deterioration of buildings in the area
• to redevelop the buildings in the area

**NOTE: This book was written back in 1973. An updated history is being written and is available in the publication The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, which you should read. Copies of this paper will be handed out in class.
 

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Fox, Tim.  "Skinker-DeBaliviere."  In Where We Live, ed. Tim Fox (St. Louis: Missouri Historical Society Press, 1995): 128-133.

Provides a background to the area and its historical/social landmarks.

Sites discussed:
 

• Delmar-DeBaliviere Building
• 5654 Delmar

 
• Bi-State Bus Facility
• Debaliviere Avenue and Delmar Boulevard

 
• Kingsbury Square
• Kingsbury Boulevard west of DeBaliviere Avenue

 
• Crossroads School
• 500 DeBaliviere Avenue

 
• Dorr and Zeller Building
• 401 DeBaliviere Avenue

 
• River Des Peres (Des Peres Avenue)

• The Catlin Tract
• Lindell on the south, Forest Park Parkway on the north, Skinker on the west, and Union on the east

 
• Parkview Place
• Skinker on the south, Westgate on the north, Millbrook on the south, and Delmar on the north

 
• Grace Methodist Church
• Skinker and Waterman Boulevards

 
• St. Roch's Catholic Church
• Waterman Boulevard and Rosedale Avenue

 
• New Cote Brilliante Church of God
• Washington and Skinker Boulevards

 
• Delmar Station [MetroLink]
• Delmar Boulevard and Des Peres Avenue

 
• Delmar Boulevard

• Hamilton School
• 5819 Westminster Place

Wolford, John. "People and Place in Twentieth-Century St. Louis." Gateway Heritage (Spring 1999): 56-62.

• This article explains the objectives and methodologies involved in the ongoing and ambitious neighborhoods project pursued by the Missouri Historical Society.

• Read the article to understand where Skinker-DeBaliviere fits into the picture.

• Be ready to discuss it in class.