Celebrating a huge milestone
Where Unseen St. Louis is today and what's in store for the future
In this special edition of Unseen St. Louis, I pause for a moment to celebrate a milestone and share a little of the past and future of this publication and related activities. Join me for a little virtual bubbly!
Celebrate good times
This morning, I was notified that Unseen St. Louis has reached 1,000 subscribers!
I’m dumbfounded. I started this Substack in January 2022 because I was having a good time exploring random, obscure aspects of St. Louis history, and I thought I would see if anyone else would be interested in what I discovered.
I guess it was a good idea because look at it now! Since I started this Substack, I’ve:
launched an Unseen STL History talks series (in February 2023) that has been wildly successful;
built the Unseen St. Louis Facebook page, which has nearly 1,500 likes/followers (and is where I regularly share other STL history articles, photos, and events);
and started a new meetup group, Unseen STL History Adventures, which, despite being just 2 weeks old, already has 135 members.
Along the way, I’ve met so many amazing people, including many of the people whose articles, books, and videos have helped me piece together most of the history you find here. And to a person, they have been lovely, generous, and friendly fellow travelers in this crazy world of STL history.
And just yesterday, I was offered my first paid speaking gig talking about history, with details forthcoming.
I’m so honored to have all of you as my subscribers, and I consider you all part of my little history family. You make all of this work worthwhile.
Where Unseen St. Louis is heading
I had no idea when I started this Substack that I would also be running events. In the future, I hope to take lots of you to interesting places around the metro area and share more stories — here and in our live talks — about the people, places, and things that made St. Louis a uniquely fascinating and wonderful city.
And yes, I believe that about St. Louis, despite all our detractors. Every city has its problems, but when we focus on them, we lose sight of all the great things we have to offer. I mean, many cities don’t have such a rich and complex history, nor do they have multiple large, well-maintained parks, a gorgeous riverfront monument, free art museums, history museums and zoos, a world-class botanical garden, a wild and innovative architectural playscape for all ages, a vibrant literary and arts community, and a wealth of amazing people who dedicate their time to preserving and sharing the city’s history. So there’s a lot here to love.
So in the coming months, expect lots of excursions and adventures (including visits to many of the sites I’ve written about), as well as more interesting speakers (October will be all about BRICKS!) and history articles. And I’m currently pondering a book project focusing on how history builds community… if I can just find the time!
What you can do to support this work
If you haven’t already done so, please consider joining the meetup group and Facebook page so you can stay up-to-date on all the amazing activities happening around the metro, and so you can learn more about the individuals and groups engaging in other history and preservation activities. And share this Substack with your friends and family to help it grow.
And if you have the means, I would greatly appreciate it if you would consider becoming a paid subscriber here at Unseen St. Louis. I am committed to keeping this Substack free for all, but it takes considerable time and effort to research, write, and plan all of these activities, and your support helps make this work sustainable.
A few of my favorite past articles
For those who are new here, you may have missed some of my past work. Here are some of my favorites (though to be fair, choosing these is like trying to decide which is your favorite pet or child!).
Why St. Louis tamed the River Des Peres
In light of record-setting rainfalls and flash flooding over the past couple of weeks, I thought it would be timely to examine how, almost 100 years ago, St. Louis took big steps to prevent flooding along the edge of the city.
The Manhattan Project in St. Louis
In this article, the first in a series, I explore the role a St. Louis company played in the Manhattan Project during World War II. Believe it or not, although the war has been over for nearly 80 years, the nuclear waste from the uranium and other radioactive substances still poses a threat to St. Louisans today.
A bridge, a park, a canal: Chain of Rocks
Let’s visit the unusual bridge known as the Chain of Rocks Bridge and the fascinating history of the area around it. The Chain of Rocks Bridge has been a part of St. Louis history for nearly 100 years and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. As one might expect with such a designation, there’s a lot of history about this bridge and the surrounding area.
Death and Circuses
The bizarre story of how and why Frank James (of the James Gang) was cremated in St. Louis in the crematory on Sublette. Hold on to your hats, it's a wild ride!
A final thanks
A few days ago, I was reading a book that talked about how sometimes a city’s “spirit” will call to you and cause you to move there for reasons you can’t explain at the time.
Although I was born and raised here, until a few years ago I had never intended to move back permanently. But now I think the spirit of St. Louis (no, not the airplane!) did call to me back in 2018 and told me I had work to do. I heeded the call even though, at the time, I had no idea what it would entail. I’m so glad that I listened!
Thank you again for your support, assistance, and friendship. Here’s to the next 1000 subscribers—and maybe, with your help, the next 10,000!
Congratulations!!!
Congrats! You’re doing great work here!