Unseen STL Vibes December 2024
Positive STL news, events and historical tidbits
Unseen STL Vibes
Welcome to Unseen STL Vibes, a monthly feature of Unseen St. Louis, where we celebrate the positive and unique aspects of our city. Each month, I share uplifting stories, events, and hidden gems that make St. Louis shine. From heartwarming community initiatives to exciting local discoveries, Unseen STL Vibes is here to spread joy, foster a deeper appreciation for our city, and share a little extra cheer during this holiday season and beyond.
Upbeat STL news
Here are some positive stories about St. Louis worth sharing.
Don’t worry — Cherokee Street is thriving
Despite recent closures like Earthbound Beer and The Fortune Teller Bar, Cherokee Street is far from declining, according to a report in St. Louis Magazine. Economic data shows Cherokee Street’s revenue grew over 80% since 2019, outpacing other city districts like the Grove and South Grand. Many businesses, especially those serving the vibrant Latino community, have thrived for decades, providing a solid foundation for the street’s continued vitality.
“This is a place where big ideas can come to life in ways they don’t in other areas,” Emily Thenhaus, executive director of the Cherokee Street Improvement District, said.
Cherokee’s history as a place of reinvention is still evident today. Longtime staples like STL-Style House and Whiskey Ring are joined by a new wave of businesses and younger residents injecting fresh energy into the area. Initiatives like the upcoming Print Bazaar and improved pedestrian lighting aim to build on the district’s strengths, fostering a sense of safety, inclusivity, and community.
As STL-Style House co-owner Randy Vines put it,
“The picture is not nearly as bleak as the narrative paints it to be. It’s human nature to lament when a favorite business is done, but the truth is, you have to look at what’s come since then. There’s always someone waiting in the wings.”
A green classroom along the highway
The Embankment Greenway, a collaboration between Green House Venture and the Missouri Department of Transportation, transforms a hillside in the Shaw neighborhood along I-44 into an outdoor STEM classroom for grades 4-6. Ladue News reports how students from diverse St. Louis schools engage in hands-on learning, from planting and harvesting to studying urban agriculture and pollinator habitats. Supported by schools, universities, and community volunteers, the project fosters collaboration and inspires future careers in science and sustainability. With plans for a new education center, the project strengthens both education and community connections, building a brighter, more sustainable future for St. Louis.
Harris-Stowe State University achieves full accreditation
Amid news of local colleges closing or facing challenges, Harris-Stowe State University—a historically Black university in St. Louis—has reached a significant milestone by regaining full accreditation. As reported in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Higher Learning Commission announced the decision after Harris-Stowe addressed key financial and academic concerns raised in 2022, including improving graduation rates, streamlining data systems, and enhancing student support services.
Under President LaTonia Collins Smith's leadership, the university increased revenues by $2.4 million annually, filled key staffing vacancies, and developed a stronger financial framework. Graduation rates have notably improved, with the class of 2021 doubling the rate of 2019. While enrollment has declined, this progress marks a bright spot for higher education in the region.
Smithsonian Helps Preserve Black History in St. Louis
The Smithsonian’s Community Curation Program recently visited St. Louis, offering workshops and resources to help Black families preserve their histories. St. Louis Public Radio described how the program provided tools for digitizing old media, improving genealogy research, and safeguarding oral histories. A mobile digitization truck converted thousands of hours of outdated media into digital formats, ensuring memories are preserved for future generations. This initiative highlights the importance of documenting and preserving Black family stories, often missing from mainstream archives, to ensure they remain a vital part of the local and national historical record.
Civil Courts Building to be renamed for Judge Clyde S. Cahill
The Civil Courts Building in downtown St. Louis will be renamed the Honorable Clyde S. Cahill Courthouse, honoring the late judge’s lifelong dedication to equal justice. A native of St. Louis, Cahill graduated from Vashon High School and St. Louis University Law School after serving in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. The St. Louis American wrote that between 1958 and 1965, he served as chief legal advisor to the Missouri NAACP, where he filed the first lawsuit in Missouri to enforce the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education. He also led efforts to fight poverty and inequality as regional attorney for the Office of Economic Opportunity and executive director of the Legal Aid Society. Appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri in 1980, Cahill was a trailblazer in addressing racial inequities in the law. The renaming commemorates his enduring impact on the legal community and the pursuit of justice.
STL History and Related Events
Check out upcoming events in the St. Louis area.
From Brews to Boos: The History and Hauntings of the Lemp Family
Come raise a glass to the end of Prohibition as we celebrate St. Louis's brewing history. The Lemp family and their infamous grand mansion have become synonymous with St. Louis history, inspiring countless ghostly tales and interpretations. Visit the Central Library and enjoy an evening of lively discussion and historical insights as author Troy Taylor separates fact from fiction in the captivating story of the Lemp Family as he delves into the complexities of their legacy, untangling the threads of truth and myth surrounding this famous haunted family.
Thursday, December 5, 2024
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Lower Level Auditorium, Central Library
1301 Olive Street
More information
A Spirited Holiday Past
Join the historic sites, museums, and privately owned homes of historic Saint Louis as we come together to present a splendid grand tour!
A few of the many sites participating include
Taille de Noyer House
Campbell House Museum
The Field House Museum
Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion
Old St. Ferdinand Shrine
Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site
Saturday, December 7, 2024
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Prices vary by location
More information and a full list of sites
The Wendell Pruitt Celebration of African American Service
Dr. Matthew Delmont, the Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Professor at Dartmouth College and a Guggenheim Fellow, will deliver a keynote address based on his acclaimed book, Half American: The Epic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad. Delmont, a Harvard and Brown graduate and expert in African American and civil rights history, will share the often-overlooked contributions of over one million Black men and women during WWII. Hors d’oeuvres will be served before the talk, and a book signing will follow.
Sunday, December 8, 2024
2:00 PM–4:30PM
Soldiers Memorial
1315 Chestnut St.
Free but registration is required
Unseen STL History Talks - St. Louis Holiday Traditions
From centuries-old traditions to iconic local favorites, this month’s talk will take us on a festive journey through the history of holiday celebrations in St. Louis. Whether you’re curious about how early settlers marked the season or nostalgic for the twinkling shopping windows of decades past, this event will definitely get you in the holiday spirit.
Join us as we welcome Amanda Clark from the Missouri Historical Society as she talks about St. Louis holiday traditions.
December 19th, 7-9 PM (doors 6 PM)
Spine Bookstore and Cafe, 1982 Arsenal
$5 cover
Learn more at Unseen St. Louis
History Tidbits
Craving more history? Look no further!
A while back, I stumbled across a reference to the Kinloch barricade, a physical barrier that prevented people from driving down Suburban Ave. and crossing from Kinloch into Ferguson or vice versa. Having grown up right across Maline Creek from the location of this barricade, I was eager to learn more. As always, those random questions led me to research the fascinating—and frustrating—story of Kinloch. Check out my article, “The Kinloch barricade: How racism slowly dismantled a once-thriving community.”
As a bonus, check out this incredible two-part history series from NPR, “America's first major immigration crackdown and the making and breaking of the West” and “The price America paid for its first big immigration crackdown.” Although not St. Louis history, these articles offer a fascinating look into how 19th-century Chinese immigrants were instrumental in building the American West, only to become the target of anti-immigrant laws such as the Chinese Exclusion Act. The articles also detail how the crackdown on Chinese immigrants (legal or not) hurt many local economies.
If you have events, news, historical tidbits, or other things you think Unseen STL readers would appreciate, drop me an email at jackie@jackiedana.com and include “Unseen STL Vibes” in the subject line.
And as always, thanks for reading and supporting Unseen St. Louis. I am committed to providing informative articles and history programming to the community and keeping all of the content on Unseen St. Louis free. However, this does take quite a bit of effort, so if you would like to support my work financially, please consider a paid subscription.