Dark Moments in St Louis History

Class & Event Types:

Seasonal, Evenings & Weekends, History & Culture, Virtual

Age Group:

Teens (Grades 7-12), Adults, Ages 18+, Ages 21+, Ages 55+
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Event Details

Some of the topics covered:

  • St Louis Mayors maimed or killed while in office
  • Prominent St Louisans held captive by pirates
  • 33,000 St Louisans losing their homes by the stroke of a pen
  • US Army spraying schoolchildren with radioactive substances
  • St Louis unleashing social ills on the rest of the country:
    • Cocktail parties,
    • Halitosis,
    • Chain restaurants
  • Agonizing deaths in the Mississippi River
  • The first American firefighter to die in the line of duty
  • St Louisans slaughtered while picking wildflowers
  • And, not one, but TWO possible Jack the Ripper suspects

picture from the 1900s of a man being shot while shooting a revolver

Recommended reading from the Library: St Louis miscellanea

The presenter is Doug Schneider, author, St Louis walking tour guide, Scottish country dancer, fan of architecture, Route 66 enthusiast, who graduated from Brown University, one of the eight Ivy League universities, with a Bachelor's in History; and from the University of London with a Master's in Linguistics.

To view a recording of this event click HERE