On November 25th, Unseen St. Louis presented a series of history talks at Spine Indie Bookstore and Cafe’s second "Spine-iversary". Each speaker brought a unique perspective to St. Louis's history, enriching our understanding of the city’s past.
The Talks
We had three talks over the course of the day. All three recordings are available to listen to above.
Jackie Dana: Unraveling the History of Spine Bookstore's Building
Jackie opened the talk series with an exploration of the building that houses Spine Bookstore and Cafe. Constructed in 1889 by Christian Shollmeyer, this location's journey from a shoe repair shop to a rumored speakeasy reveals the dynamic history of the area. Jackie’s narrative highlighted the building's connection with James Earl Ray and his dealings with the East St. Louis mafia, and she suggested a twist to the standard narrative about the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
(No slides, but check out the previous Unseen STL article for more on this topic.)
Julie Nicolai: Confronting St. Louis's Racial History
Julie presented a compelling talk on St. Louis's racial history. Her deep dive into tragic events like the burning of Francis McIntosh and the lynching of John Buckner brought to light the grave injustices and racial tensions of the past. Julie's expertise, honed over three decades of research, shone through as she recounted the escape of Caroline Quarlls to freedom and the impact of 19th-century artwork on racial stereotypes. Her discussion not only reflected on the harrowing events of racial injustice but also highlighted the importance of art and culture in shaping societal views.
Slides:
Nathan Jackson: Discovering St. Louis's Architectural Treasures
Nathan took the audience on a visual and historical journey through the city’s architectural evolution, revealing the hidden layers of history beneath modern facades. His focus on neighborhoods like Benton Park and Soulard provided specific examples of the city's architectural transformation over time.
Slides:
December Unseen STL History Talks
Mark your calendars! On Dec. 21st, we hope all of our Unseen STL History fans come out to share your stories at “Our Favorite Things.”
From 7-9 pm at Spine Bookstore and Cafe, take a turn at the microphone and tell us brief tales about the St. Louis you know and love. We want to hear stories about cool old buildings, places you remember as a kid, historic St. Louisans who you don’t think enough people know about, or anything else about St. Louis that you want to share.
Whatever it is, we’d love to hear your stories and memories! And be sure to wear your holiday finest. Deck the halls and all that jazz!
Interested in more Unseen St. Louis history?
Be sure to subscribe to Unseen St. Louis for the latest articles about local history and information about the monthly talks. And for even more history, be sure to follow Unseen St. Louis on Facebook.
And if you haven’t joined us yet, be sure to sign up for Unseen STL History Adventures on Meetup! Coming up is a trip to the Cathedral Basilica and another to the National Building Arts Center, with more planned for after the holidays. (If you didn’t get a ticket to the NBAC tour, don’t worry. We’ll do it again in 2024!)
Support Unseen St. Louis
Running Unseen St. Louis is a labor of love for me. Still, it takes time to research local history topics, network with speakers and meetup locations, share content on Facebook, run a meetup group, and promote everything.
As we glide into the holidays, it would be a lovely gesture if you would consider signing up for a paid subscription to this Substack to help support my work and keep Unseen STL going into 2024 and beyond!
As always, thanks for all your support and interest in St. Louis history.
Bonus Talks for the Spine-iversary