Downtown St. Louis

September 16, 2019 Posted by: Tom Dewey, Librarian

Downtown St. Louis, by NiNi Harris. St. Louis: Reedy Press, 2015.

In Downtown St. Louis, author NiNi Harris follows the evolution of downtown St. Louis from early colonial days to contemporary times, describing a vast and rich history of the city.
 
St. Louisan Charlie Brennan says in his foreword,“Too little of downtown’s history is known by the people who inhabit it every day. That’s a shame, because downtown St. Louis has a fascinating past. A president, Ulysses S. Grant, got married here. Great writers like Tennessee Williams worked here. International figures like Lafayette and Charles Dickens visited here. Now, thanks to Harris, we learn the stories behind the buildings we work in, the sidewalks we walk on, and the statues we pass.”

Harris covers the history of the city’s downtown area in chronological order. The author makes the stories more personal by including portions of diary entries and writings from several influential and prominent people. Their perspectives on the emerging city provide much insight for readers. John Darby, the city’s fourth mayor, described St. Louis as it appeared when his family arrived from North Carolina in 1818. Darby wrote, “When we approached the eastern bank of the Mississippi, and saw for the first time the town of St. Louis, it had even then a striking and imposing appearance when viewed from the opposite shore.  Main Street was pretty compactly built, mostly with stone, though some frame and log houses still existed.  All the rich people lived on Main Street; all the fine houses were there. All the stores were on Main Street; all the business of the town was transacted there.”

The book’s illustrations are lavish, and yet the author still finds ample room to explain the long and rich history of the city and its inhabitants.  There is a particular emphasis on the building history, but Harris also explores historical events as well as the social fabric of they city. Overall, this is a feast for anyone looking for a well-researched and beautifully illustrated book on the history of one of the country’s early and important cities.