Unseen STL History talks feature speakers passionate about St. Louis history and the things that make our city great. But rather than focus on things we’ve heard tons of times, our speakers will focus on tales from the past that you’ve never heard before. Come out for a fun evening as we talk about fascinating tales from our city’s history that shouldn't be forgotten.

The details

Join us on March 16th for our next Unseen STL History talk at Spine Indie Bookstore and Cafe, 1976 Arsenal St. The fun starts at 7:00 PM (doors open at 6, and seating is limited). The event is free and open to the public.

This month we welcome Chris Naffziger and Mark Zeman, who will be sharing stories from their research into St. Louis history.

Chris will delve into new research on Adam Lemp's Cave in Benton Park, including recent discoveries about the date and nature of his subterranean lagering cellars. Although there are many legends surrounding the use of caves by German American brewers in St. Louis, Chris will explore the true story of how immigrants like Lemp utilized these spaces to introduce a new type of beer to the Gateway City.

Meanwhile, Mark will draw on topics from his new book "Historic Tales of St. Louis," which explores the evolution of technology, great successes and accomplishments, and little-known historical events.

About the speakers

Chris Naffziger is a researcher in the archives of the St. Louis Recorder of Deeds. For the last fifteen years, he has turned his scholarly research to the study of the history and built environment of the city of St. Louis, Missouri and the Midwest, with a particular interest in the development of the 19th century German American brewing industry. His work has been published throughout America and Europe. Recently, he has been exploring the history of the Lemp Brewery since its foundation in the 19th Century.

Mark Zeman received his Master of Arts in English from California State University, Sacramento, with studies in Medieval History at the University of Wales, Swansea, Great Britain. He has been a professional writer for over 30 years and has won numerous literary awards. His Facebook page covers St. Louis events and history, with two additional pages on Facebook: St. Louis Sculpture and St. Louis Secluded Places. He is a Google Maps Master Reviewer, Master Photographer, and Master Fact Finder; his Maps photos of St. Louis have been viewed over a half billion times. He is the author of the brand-new book Historic Tales of St. Louis.

Future talks

In April we’ll switch to art and architectural history as we welcome Jennifer Grotpeter, co-author of St. Louis in Watercolor: Living History in the Gateway City, and architecture artist Leisa Collins. Both will be talking about some of their favorite places around the city that you should know about.

And in May we’re working on a fun history of City Museum. More details on that soon!

Spine Bookstore & Cafe - by Leisa Collins

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If you know anyone who might enjoy attending our talks, please share this with them. Our Unseen STL History talks happen on the third Thursday of each month, and subscribing to Unseen St. Louis is a great way to follow our activities as well as get the recaps afterward.

And if you know of anyone who might make a perfect speaker, please let them know about what we’re doing.

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Unseen St. Louis

Unseen STL History talks in March 2023