Unseen STL Vibes January 2025
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. As winter settles in, Unseen St. Louis is here to bring a little warmth and inspiration, showcasing what makes our city special all year long.
Upbeat STL news
Here are some positive stories about St. Louis worth sharing.
Osage Nation Reclaims Sugarloaf
Osage artist Anita Fields expressed joy at the recent announcement that another parcel of Sugarloaf Mound will be returned to the Osage Nation. (Her 2023 Counterpublic art installation, WayBack, played a key role in raising awareness of the Osage presence in St. Louis.) Sugarloaf Mound, located near the Mississippi River in south St. Louis, is the last remaining Mississippian mound in the city, part of a network of mounds built by Indigenous peoples centuries ago and holds deep cultural meaning for the Osage Nation. As reported by St. Louis Public Radio, Fields emphasized the importance of reclaiming such historic sites, not only for the Osage but for other Indigenous communities often overlooked in Missouri.
Steamboat Dreams in St. Charles
St. Charles is pursuing plans to bring the Arabia Steamboat Museum collection from Kansas City to its historic riverfront, highlighting St. Charles’s rich steamboat history. The Arabia shipwreck was unearthed in the 1980s, offering up a treasure trove of pre-Civil War artifacts. According to the Post-Dispatch, the proposed museum would feature these artifacts and a steamboat in a dry dock. It would complement St. Charles’s ongoing revitalization efforts in Frenchtown and the riverfront.
These Boots Were Made for Hiking… the Centennial Trail
The Centennial Greenway is set to expand with a 2.5-mile extension through Olivette in St. Louis County, connecting Olive Boulevard near Interstate 170 to Warson Park. The St. Louis Business Journal describes how this long-awaited project, led by Great Rivers Greenway, will link Clayton, Ladue, University City, and Olivette, creating a seamless trail system that spans from Forest Park to Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park. Featuring safety upgrades, scenic routes, and connections to parks and neighborhoods, the extension highlights Olivette's growing vibrancy while enhancing outdoor recreation and accessibility for the region.
HOAs vs. Chickens: The Chickens Win
A new Missouri law allows residents with at least two-tenths of an acre to own up to six chickens, overriding homeowners’ association restrictions. Inspired by his granddaughters Josie and Lily, who wanted to keep chickens, State Rep. Jim Murphy sponsored the bill, framing it as a property rights issue. As St. Louis Public Radio explained, the law, which mirrors St. Louis County’s chicken ordinance but applies statewide, passed with bipartisan support after persuasive testimony from Murphy’s granddaughters. While cities and counties can still ban chickens, private associations (HOAs) cannot. The law is now facing a legal challenge from a homeowners association but is expected to hold. Bawk bawk!
Healing Meets Housing
The Hospital to Housing program at BJC has placed over 70 participants in temporary housing with support from the Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital and the St. Patrick Center. The Post-Dispatch reports that participants are housed for up to 90 days in a 25-unit building or with participating landlords, achieving a 63% reduction in emergency room visits within 90 days and a 43% drop a year later. At $9,300 per participant, the program saves the hospital more than twice the cost, but the lack of affordable permanent housing remains a significant challenge, leaving some participants without stable options after their temporary stay. Still, it’s a good start, and hospitals getting involved in this issue is a great step forward.
STL History and Related Events
Check out upcoming events in the St. Louis area.
Exhibits in 2025 at the Missouri History Museum
There are several exciting new museum exhibits opening in 2025. I’m especially excited about “Collected,” a new long-term gallery opening in March that will showcase artifacts and archival materials from the Missouri Historical Society collections, as well as “Mill Creek: Black Metropolis” that will tell the story of the largely Black community in Midtown that was demolished for future development that never came. Learn more about these exhibits and others on the Missouri History Museum’s blog.
Missouri Emancipation and the St. Louis African American Community
On January 11, 1865, the delegates of the Missouri state convention passed the immediate emancipation of all enslaved persons. Join us for a short presentation about the history of Missouri emancipation, followed by a conversation with representatives from St. Louis area sites that are part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
Thursday, January 9, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Missouri History Museum
Free
Unseen STL History Talks - Brick by Chance and Fortune Revisited
January’s Unseen STL History Talks will feature a special screening of the 2011 documentary Brick by Chance and Fortune, created by local filmmaker Bill Streeter. The film explores St. Louis’s rich legacy of brick architecture, the history of its clay and brick industry, and efforts to preserve the city’s historic structures from threats like brick theft and urban renewal. Following the one-hour screening, a discussion will include Streeter, documentary participants Toby Weiss and Paul Hohmann, Emery Cox and Laurie Ahrens from the National Building Arts Center, and other guests. Chris Naffziger will moderate the discussion.
January 16th, 6:30-9 p.m. (doors 6 p.m.)
Spine Bookstore and Cafe, 1982 Arsenal
$5 cover
Learn more about the event and speakers
Introduction to the Library & Research Center
Haven’t had a chance to visit the MHS Library & Research Center on Skinker Boulevard? You’re invited to view the beautiful architecture of the former United Hebrew Temple and its Grigg Reading Room, hear about the building’s rich history, and learn about some of the most popular resources we provide for genealogy and house history. Plus, see some of the behind-the-scenes work that happens every day to preserve our rich collections and share information about them online.
Saturday, January 25, 2025, 9:30am–10:30am
Missouri Historical Society Library & Research Center
Free; for MHS Members only
More information & Registration Link
Bryan Mullanphy and the Freedom Suits
For Black History Month, join Andy Theising and Jackie Dana for a compelling discussion on the life and impact of Judge Bryan Mullanphy and the freedom suits heard in his courtroom. They will explore his landmark 1843 “citizenship” decision, a ruling that had the potential to change the course of slavery—had it been honored. This free event includes light refreshments and access to Black History exhibits on the first floor.
Sunday, February 16, 2:00 PM
Taille de Noyer House
McCluer High School Campus, 1896 S. New Florissant Rd., Florissant, MO 63031 (enter campus and make the first and only right turn)
Free
History Tidbits
Craving more history? Look no further! Here’s one of my older articles, as well as a little personal reminiscing and a link to a fun article from the Missouri Historical Society.
Who was Bryan Mullanphy?
Ahead of the February 16th talks at Taille de Noyer, why not delve into the life of one of St. Louis’s most fascinating historical figures, Bryan Mullanphy? He’s my favorite St. Louis mayor (so far), and for good reason. Though his time in politics wasn’t marked by great success, his quirky personality and unorthodox approach to leadership left behind a truly remarkable legacy. Mullanphy’s contributions made him a standout figure in the city’s history, and I think you’ll enjoy learning more about him.
Snow Sports on Art Hill
A rite of passage for all St. Louis kids should be a high-speed trip down a steep hill toward a frozen body of water—that’s right, sledding down Art Hill, the wide slope leading down from the St. Louis Art Museum to the Grand Basin.
As a kid, I went down Art Hill on a wooden sled, and it was an exhilarating experience. I remember it being steep and bumpy, and I was wary of the water at the bottom, so I stuck to the side. And despite my fear of the Grand Basin, I didn’t come close to falling in—at least not that time.
After my sledding adventure, perhaps when I was 9 or 10, my dad and I went to Forest Park on a weekend day while my mom was at work at Jewish Hospital (she was the ER supervisor). That day, the snow was deep and pillowy — much like this week’s snowfall. While my dad took photos with his 35mm camera, I knocked snow off the tops of the ornamental walls. But those walls are misleading — they extend into the water, and because of the deep snow, I had no idea that as I ran my arm along the length of the wall, I was at the edge of the water. Before I knew it, I’d plunged right into the water, breaking the ice. Fortunately, I didn’t go under (I don’t think the water was that deep), and my dad pulled me out quickly.
We left immediately, my dad blasting the heat in the car (it wasn’t enough!), and went directly to the ER right across Kingshighway from the park, where my mom and her colleagues helped me out of my wet clothes and into a hospital gown, wrapping me in blankets. PSA: when you’ve just fallen through the ice on a very cold day, a few cotton-weave blankets aren’t warm enough! I remember shivering on the hospital bed, thinking I would never get warm again.
Fortunately, although I have never been so cold in my life, I fully recovered (albeit with a life-long aversion to ice baths—no Polar Bear Club for me!).
In honor of one of St. Louis’s favorite winter pastimes, check out this great article from Amanda Clark of the Missouri History Museum.
And if you and your kids go out sledding, stay away from the Grand Basin!
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We made it to Art Hill at least once even from Overland, but only the one time.