Part 2
The signs are all around us. The ghost buildings that once held businesses, homes and even churches still sit, beckoning those passing by to stop and take a look. To look past the rubble and broken glass, tall grass and graffitti to the past life it held.
RY Freight Depot. As I was about to take this photo, a train passed by. Years ago this would be an all day occurrence.
I recently drove around the northern part of the city of St. Louis, MO just north of the Gateway Arch grounds where the history is rich with ghost signs and buildings on every corner. This area was spared from the wrecking ball that demolished 37 blocks to make way for said Arch. Now I am a St. Louisan through and through and love the city and am proud of the arch, but as a historian and preservationist, it saddens me that so much history was lost because of it. Not to mention the people that were displaced by it~but that is a blog unto itself(I will link it here, when it is posted).
The signs show us what it was like and how far we have come. In one sign, we see The Mound City Buggy Co all the way up to auto transmissions!
What can we learn from the signs and buildings? How we have evolved. How we lived once or made due with what was available at the time.
Power to the people (of St. Louis)
The Laclede Power Company began in 1891 and this building, built in 1901 was a power generating facility. The building has sat empty since the 1970’s.
Another Power company building and sign is the Union Electric Light and Power Company.
This great ornate building was built in 1902( some say 1889). It provided steam heat to the downtown area. It was then converted to oil in the early 70’s and to natural gas in 1996. There was a greenway walking/riding trail area built around here, but recently it was closed off, along with multiple points of entry to the riverfront. I drove down here and didn’t know what was going on, as ‘the greenway trail’ started and ended here!
Click here to see the first video of ghost signs around STL. More to come and will be updated. Click here for part one blog.
More signs of the past that connect us
do know there were a few businesses that had multiple warehouses around this area. As you can see this is Warehouse #3.
The complex that made up the Crunden-Martin Manufacturing Co. is down to 4 from the seven in its heyday. They were makers of wood and metal household goods, toys and paper products. The buildings were built between 1904 and 1920. They were an early supporter of the flood wall along the Mississippi in St. Louis. It closed in late 1990.
leave a comment, please! A true sign of the past!
The big one, building, ghost sign and oldest business!
The A. F. Shapleigh Hardware Company began when Augustus Frederick Shapleigh came to St. Louis from Philadelphia in 1843 to open a branch of the Rodgers Brothers and company firm. The name changed to Shapleigh Hardware not long after and continued to grow very quickly. The picture with the DE trademark is from the Shapleigh Hardware co. “The Diamond Edge is a quality pledge” Click here for detailed history from family descendants.
Left to the urban elements. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.
More ghost signs
Not sure what the bottom row says. St. Louis was a port city
handling lots of freight, so this makes sense.
Circa 1903
If you know of any ghost signs I missed or where any unusual ones are located, drop a comment. These were all from the Near Northside St. Louis City. There are more and I intend to go back! Stay tuned for part 3!