I grew up in St. Louis. The owners of the
major companies served as the town fathers. This included the founders of these
companies and their heirs. Anheuser Bush, Ralston Purina, McDonnell Douglas, Emerson,
Kearney, Bussman and Graybar Electric, Monsanto, Mallinckrodt and Olin Chemical, Rawlings, Peabody Coal and many others. St. Louis is a blue
collar town, so much thought was put into placing parks. Some of the town
fathers were involved in the purchase of 1371 acres in 1870. Forrest Park opened in 1876, hosted the
World’s Fair in 1904 and houses the city attractions in one place. You will
find the St. Louis Zoo, Art Museum, Muny Opera, Steinberg Skating Rink, 1904
Pavillion, Climatron, Observatory, golf course, tennis courts and lake with
boats, all inside Forrest Park.
When the U.S. highway system was built in the
1950s, St. Louis was connected to I-70. Later, I-55 and I-44 were added.
Crossing grid highways I-270 and I-170 were added, providing quick highway travel
across the St. Louis Metro area. The main roads were left intact and can be
used as well. St. Louis was generous to those whose homes they had to purchase
to put these highways in. You can live anywhere and work anywhere and have a
quick commute.
St. Louis is respectful of individual
property rights and have let property owners alone. Consequently, older homes
and buildings are maintained and refurbished rather than being torn down and
replaced.
I know there are people in St. Louis who have
been “stinkers”, but it doesn’t show up in the end-product.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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