In 1925, St. Louis was a bustling city with a strong industrial base in brewing, meatpacking, and manufacturing, and a key position at the crossroads of the Mississippi River and major rail lines. Home to world-class universities, cultural institutions, and a diverse population of African Americans and European and Mexican immigrants, the city was also grappling with poverty, racial tensions, and the pressures of rapid urbanization. The photographs below offer a street-level view of the city during this pivotal year.
The rear of the Crunden Branch Library at the northeast corner of Cass Ave and 14th Street is visible in the right background. The building with the Hyde Park sign was at 1224 Cass Ave, the southeast corner of Cass Ave and 13th Street. The Cass Bank & Trust was later built on that site.
The building at the immediate left is 2301 Morgan. Across the street at the northeast corner of Twenty-third and Morgan is the old Central M.E. Church, built in 1869 and occupied by that congregation until 1885. The steeple was removed, and the church was then used by the Central (Colored) Baptist Church until 1913. In 1933, the building was being used by the Church of God in Christ.
This is the view north to the northeast corner of Park Ave. and Mississippi Ave. Lafayette Park is on the extreme far left. The residence on the right is 1418 Mississippi Ave. A Pevely Milk billboard and streetcar are visible in the background.
This is the view west from the 1900 block of Biddle Street, looking down the north side of the sidewalk. The building at far right with the storefront is 1901 Biddle Street. Coca-Cola and Beech-Nut Tobacco advertising is posted to the building.
The Caradine Hat Co. was located at 2128 Washington Ave. On the right is the Shaughnessy Building at the northwest corner of Washington Ave. and North 22nd Street.
View of the southeast corner of Market Street at the intersection with Grand Ave. The Grand Ave. bridge is off to the right. A woman stands near a fire hydrant. Numerous billboards are posted, including advertising for The Moler System of Colleges, The St. Louis Star newspaper, Chauncey P. Heath Real Estate, and Murphy’s luggage.
The building at front left is the rear of the old (second) City Hall building at 11th and Market. It is currently where the Civil Courts building, built in 1928, now stands. Further east, the Annex Hotel is at 6th Street and Market.
The 5-story building at left is the Standard Heel & Counter Co. at the southeast corner of North 11th Street and Carr Street.
A streetcar is at center. In the left center background, the St. Louis Independent Packing Company at 3857 is visible. The Abram Dyeing & Cleaning Co. at 3959 Chouteau is seen on the left. Lemen0226 and Lemen0230 are the same location looking west.
A second dentist sign is seen at 224 North 7th Street, which is the corner of North 7th Street and Olive Street. Burton Clothing Co. was at 720 Olive Street. The 12-story Arcade Building at the southwest corner of Olive Street and North 8th Street is behind it. On the right is the Railway Exchange Building at the northeast corner of Olive Street and North 7th Street. Next is the Central National Bank Building (Union Trust Building) at the northwest corner of Olive Street and North 7th Street, and then the Chemical Building (with the bay windows) at the northeast corner of Olive Street and North 8th Street.
Looking north from in front of 1414 North Taylor Ave., just north of the intersection of North Taylor Ave. and Evans Ave.
View looking north on the 200 block of North Seventh toward Olive at several businesses. Left: Charles P. Stanley Cigar Co., Central National Bank Building, Ambassador Building, Busy Bee Candy. Right: L. Payuk Delicatessen, Peterson Billiards.
Looking north on Sarah Ave. at Clayton Ave. The buildings at left center, just past the railroad crossing, were part of the Empire Brewing Co., and were later used by U.S. Steel Supply Co. The brewery closed in 1918. On a brick wall in the foreground, several advertisements are visible, including one for the Mississippi Valley Trust Company. Remnants of earlier advertisements cover the wall. A telephone marker bearing the logo of Southwestern Bell protrudes from the wall near a doorway.
Forest Park is at center. The eight-story building at right center is the St. Louis Maternity Hospital.
View of the front yard at the Superintendent’s residence of the St. Louis City Workhouse at the southeast corner of S. Broadway and Meramec Street. A woman sits with a small dog and a man stands near a double-seated glider. Lemen0232, Lemen0233, and Lemen0234 are related views. The residence at center background with a tower is 2722-2724 Meramec Street.
The Century Electric Company at 1827 Pine Street, the building at far right, took over the northern half of this block extending to Olive Street.
View of the buildings that included 318, 320, and 324 Jefferson and 2351, 2353, 2355, 2357, and 2361 Adams. At the time of the photograph, Drosky Brothers Grocery and Meat Market operated on the first floor of the corner building at 2361 Adams. This surrounding area is now part of I-64. From resource: Northeast corner of Jefferson and Adams.
This is the 4200 block of Schiller Place near Morganford Rd. in the Bevo Mill neighborhood. The residence is 4248 Schiller Place.
The New Plaza Hotel is the current Drake Plaza Apartments at the intersection of Olive Blvd and Leonard Street. The diagonal building at right center is also still standing.
The Superior Electric Products Company was at the southeast corner of Thirteenth Street and Morrison Ave.
Left: Beers Hotel, Midway Theater (525). Right: Metropolitan Building, includes Metropolitan Bowling Alley, Third Baptist Church, Missouri Theatre.
Looking north down North 20th Street near East Gano Ave. in the College Hill neighborhood. The church at center is Our Lady of Perpetual Help at the northwest corner of East Linton Ave. and North 20th Street. The building at far left, behind the planter, is 4823 North 20th Street. The buildings at near far right, next to the fence, are 4814 and 4816 North 20th Street, which are still standing.
View of a row of houses on the east side of North Broadway near George Theone’s auto repair business at 7320 North Broadway. Bellefontaine Cemetery would have been on the other side of the street. From resource: 7328 North Broadway.
View of the Alanson Building on the south side of the 5800 block of Delmar Boulevard. A man stands in front of A. P. Cohen Drug Company at 5898 Delmar. American Hat Works Company at 5894 and Blue Moon Restaurant at 5892 are also in view.
The Grand Ave. bridge, with the ornate wrought iron fencing, is off to the left. The gasometers at the northwest corner of Chouteau Ave. and Newstead are visible at right center distance.
View of the buildings that stood at 3724, 3726, and 3728 West Florissant. The businesses included George Heckemeyer Grocery and Joe Lee Laundry in 1930.
Facing north of a traffic signal in the middle of 12th Street (Tucker) at Locust, looking north. Buildings visible in the photograph include Hotel Jefferson, Silk Exchange Building, and Ferguson-McKinley Dry Goods.
Looking east toward Eads Bridge Trolley Station at Third and Washington. Shapleigh Hardware is on the left. Trolleys and autobuses are visible.
Jake Feinberg Tailor is at 111, Henry C. Alles Furnace Company at 115, and Flori Brothers Machine Company at 119. From resource: 14th Street.
The park is bounded by Louisiana on the west, S. Compton on the east, Potomac on the north, and Miami on the south side. This photograph of the Gravois Park Pavilion appears on page 23 of the Annual Report of the Division of Parks and Recreation, Department of Public Welfare, City of St. Louis, ending fiscal year April 1925. City Ordinance 33140 authorized $8,500 of the 1924 Bond Issue for construction. The pavilion includes a bandstand and lower-level comfort station and was constructed by the Construction Division of the Division of Parks and Recreation. It was designed by H. E. George, an architect for the City of St. Louis.
View of the buildings and businesses that once stood on the north side of the 1400 block of Chestnut, which is now green space. Golden Ruling and Binding Company was at 1409, Capewell Horse and Nail Company at 1413, and Toman Auto Repair Company was at 1415 Chestnut at the time this photograph was taken.
View to the northwest from the 4500 block of St. Louis Avenue. The three brick dwelling buildings on the right with the diamond-brick pattern are at 4557, 4559, and 4561 St. Louis Ave. The intersection down the block is Cora Avenue.
The building at far left, with the arched windows, is the Allen Building at the northwest corner of Broadway and Market Street. The building behind that, at left center, is the Old Courthouse. The building behind the Old Courthouse, at center, is the Merrell Drug Co. building at the northeast corner of Market and Fourth Street. In the left foreground, a man is holding cable near an open manhole.
Directly in view is a large brick pile signaling a demolition. The photo was taken in front of approximately 511 Franklin Ave. The 3-story building at left center is at 600 Franklin Ave. Further up the block at left center, the building with the pointed roof is the Globe Store & Office Fixture Co. at 700 Franklin Ave.
Looking west down Chouteau Ave. from west of South Spring. The St. Louis Independent Packing Co. at right center was located at 3857 Chouteau Ave. The gasometer at center was located at the northwest corner of Chouteau and Newstead.
The view east down Delmar Blvd., east of the intersection with Goodfellow Blvd. The building with the turret at far right is a transformer station at 5700 Delmar Blvd. The Delmonte Deluxe Theater was located at 5630 Delmar Blvd.
Looking southwest from the Superintendent’s residence of the St. Louis City Workhouse at the southeast corner of South Broadway and Meramec Street. The view is southwest down South Broadway. The building with the pointed tower at center is the Home of the Friendless at the northwest corner of South Broadway and Dakota Street, later the Charless Home at 4431 South Broadway. The tall building left of that is the Mt. Pleasant School at 4528 Nebraska Ave.
The building on the far left is 2132 O’Fallon and 2136 O’Fallon Street is at the corner. The six-story building was the Ely & Walker Knitted Outerwear Factory, later the Milus Shoe Co. factory, at 2235 O’Fallon Street.
Three women and a group of newsboys wearing caps are standing at the corner in front of St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church, today known as Saints Teresa and Bridget Catholic Church.
The house on the corner is 3211 North 21st Street and the three-story residence is 3215 North 21st Street. At left center behind the trees, the steeple of St. Augustine’s Catholic Church at the southeast corner of Hebert Street and Lismore Street is just barely visible.
This is a view of the playground and merry-go-round at Mullanphy Park, at Tenth Street and Mullanphy Street in North St. Louis. The Logeman Manufacturing Co. was located next to the park at 1015 Mullanphy Street.
The gasometer at center was located at the northwest corner of Chouteau and Newstead. Lemen0224 and Lemen0226 are similar locations.
The corner confectionery at the address was owned by Charles H. Becker in 1928 and Anthony E. Minoughan in 1930.
View of a residential neighborhood made up of brick homes, one block west of South Kingshighway. The Forestry division had just planted young Maple trees for the Home and Housing Association.
The Bush-Burns Realty Co. was located at 1105 Chestnut Street. A large sign in front of the building reads “Berkley Acres, The Ideal Home Site.” The Municipal Nurses Office, seen in the right foreground, was part of the City Health & Police Dept. building, which was later replaced by the Civil Courts Building.
St Louis has a glorious history through photos from just 100 years ago. There is no doubt that my grandparents hung around some of these streets. St Louis produced bricks and used them in their buildings, streets, etc., as evidenced by the brickwork. Some of the billboards were interesting to read. The charm was there, the shabbiness was a problem, and the rural aspect of the city was evident (cows grazing near city streets! ).