Missouri's Major Cities Looked So Different In 1955. Saint Louis Especially
By Liz Oliver|Published May 28, 2017
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Liz Oliver
Author
Liz is a Missouri native with a B.A. in English from Mizzou and a M.A. in Non-Profit Administration from Lindenwood University. She works for a STL metro-area community college and enjoys writing, traveling, and indoor cycling. Her true passion is forcing her encyclopedic knowledge of Missouri facts on uninterested strangers from across the globe!
These amazing postcards of St. Louis show what the city looked like during the 1950s. In 1950, St. Louis was still one of America’s largest cities and the 1950 census recorded the city’s largest population to date. After 1950 however, the city saw a rapid change in population as residents moved into the surrounding suburbs. Now, St. Louis is Missouri’s second largest city behind Kansas City. Here are 10 photos depicting life in St. Louis nearly 70 years ago!
Without the skyscrapers and the Arch in the background, the Old Cathedral looks very different. At the time of this photo, the interstate did not go directly through downtown St. Louis.
While the Eads Bridge never seems to change, there is an important St. Louis landmark missing from this photo. Did you notice that the Arch wasn't in the background? The Gateway Arch wasn't completed until 1965.
Union Station was still a bustling transportation hub in the 1950's. Today, Union Station sits almost empty. However, developers have been planning on a complete revitalization in the area and will hopefully break ground soon!
The Arena opened in 1929 and was in use until 1999. Many people remember The Arena as the Chekerdome. The St. Louis Blues called The Arena home for many years until the completion of the Kiel (Scottrade) Center in 1994.
The Jewel Box opened as a public greenhouse in 1936. The art deco style of the architecture made the Jewel Box a must see attraction nation wide. The Jewel Box is now on the registry of National Historic Places.
Sportsman's Park was built in 1909 and by the mid twenties was home to both the St. Louis Browns and St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals were bought by Anheuser-Busch in 1953 and Busch Memorial Stadium replaced Sportsman's Park in 1966. Today, the new Busch Stadium sits on almost the exact same location as the 1966 stadium.
St. Louis City Hall was completed in 1904. This City landmark is eligible for the National Historic Register. Although the building looks nearly the same as it did in the late 1950's the skyline has drastically changed with the addition of modern skyscrapers.
Do you have any old photos or post cards of Missouri cities? Do you remember any of these sites and what they were like in the 1950’s? Share your photos and memories with us in the comments!
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