The working library of noted railroad executive John W. Barriger III (1899-1976) was acquired in 1982, the generous donation of his family. Widely recognized as one of the twentieth century's best-known and most distinguished railroad executives, Mr. Barriger was also an avid scholar, book collector, and photographer. His collection of books, papers, photographs, and memorabilia - collected over an active career of 50 years - forms the nucleus of the Library's railroad collections, one of the largest rail transportation collections in the world.
"For days after the fire, police maintained special details to keep the curious from the ruins. Then eight days later, the proud structure, once hailed for its graceful architectural lines and fort-like appearance, claimed six more lives when a wall fell on the adjoining St. Louis Seed Company building. Rest of walls were then levelled by dynamite."
Two original captions: "This is the city's famed Third and Washington loop as it appeared during the war with Spain. Building on the right is the old Perkinsand Herpel's Mercantile College. Beyond that is old Boatmen's Bank building, which housed Missouri Athletic Club." "Third and Washington in Spanish-American War times. At Taylor avenue car is starting to round the loop. The building on the north side of Washington between Third and Fourth housed Perkins & Herpel's Mercantile College which offered day and night school classes in all branches of commercial studies; the prospectus said that 'students may join at any time, as there are no vacations and no classes, each receiving personal attention from the seven professors who assist Messrs. Perkins & Herpel.' Behind it rises the ill-fated Boatmen's Bank building which housed the Missouri Athletic Club until the disastrous fire of 1914."
1 3/4 inch diameter round pin back button with a red, white, and blue background with the words "My Dad's a Republican But I Vote for Taystee Bread." An illustration of an elephant is located on the right side as a symbol of the Republican Party.
1 3/4 inch diameter round pin back button with a white and blue background with the words "My Dad's a Democrat But I Vote for Taystee Bread." An illustration of a donkey is located on the right side as a symbol of the Democratic Party.
Mrs. Marva Rucker, divorcee of 1534 N. 16th St., is shopping with food coupons under the Food Stamp Program. Her monthly income is $231--$156 of it from her Aid to Dependent Children and $75 from husband in support of their five small children. Monthly she is required to buy $30 worth of food coupons, and is given an additional $54 in free coupons, netting her total of $84 worth.
The building at the left, on Washington looking west from the levee, was the site of Pierre Chouteau's home and fur warehouse. Indians camped here while trading with the white men. This structure was one of the first in St. Louis to install elevators.
Fourth and Chestnut, looking west. This is one of the hardest of famous Boehl negatives to date. The Ohio & Missouri ticket office occupied the Old Planters' House basement (right) throughout the 70s and 80s and the Tax Collector's sign on the Courthouse was also a hardly perennial. Best authorities give a date of about 1875 for the picture, the pole (right) probably carrying a telegraph line which was the only utility strung overhead at that date. Note the hack stand in the shadow of the Courthouse.
Old Planters House is at the right. Across the street are hack stands and, for taxpayers, a reminder sign on the courthouse, "Collector of the revenue, tax department."
The east side of Fourth street between Olive and Locust, showing the Everett House, Pingee & Brown, Prop., with the upper veranda and iron railing which formed a hotel's trademark. The corner building on the far right housed Hall's Bafe and Look Company, J. J. Starr, manager, which is listed at 302 North Fourth in the 1872 directory and had moved to 410 North Third in 1878. Scarritt Furniture, whose sign can be made out at the corner of Locust, was at 400 North Fourth in 1872 and had also moved in 1878, putting the date of this photograph at about 1875.
On the east side of the street (photo to left) [(this photo)] is the famous Everett House, with the upper veranda and iron railing, trademarks of hotels in that era. In five years the same scene (right)[(different photo)] changed considerably. The hotel had its front dressed up with additional porches and and awnings. The skyline also changed with the erection of the Goodyear Rubber Co. sign, then considered one of the highest in city.
Fourth street looking north from Olive showing Everett House on right with porch. Jaccards on the left.
On the east side of the street (photo to left) [(different photo)] is the famous Everett House, with the upper veranda and iron railing, trademarks of hotels in that era. In five years the same scene (right)[(this photo)] changed considerably. The hotel had its front dressed up with additional porches and and awnings. The skyline also changed with the erection of the Goodyear Rubber Co. sign, then considered one of the highest in city.
Fourth an Locust, looking west on Locust. The Mermod, Jaccard & Co. sign on the righthand building at 401-403 North Fourth dates this picture after 1874. The Union Sign Works, whose own sign can be detected midway down the south side of Locust, was listed at that address in the City Directory of 1878. The north side of Locust has changed very little over the years, some of its building being among the oldest in downtown St. Louis and presenting almost the same view today as when this picture was taken about 1880.
Emil Boehl made the above photo of an 1856 drawing of Locust, west from Fourth, for its historic significance. The three-story building, left foreground, is the Mercantile Library and Hall, scene of the constitutional convention which kept Missouri in the Union. A London newspaper described it as the finest hall in America. The same scene below had changed somewhat when Boehl got around to photographing the street 20 years later.
Once one of old St. Louis' better known hotels, on Fourth between Morgan (now Delmar) and Franklin, the St. Nicholas began losing its glory in the 1870s when this photo was made. On Jan. 4, 1884, the structure, then occupied by stores, was burned to the ground. Fire department records list it the most difficult in history. It was fought during a "veritable Arctic blizzard" with temperature standing at 26 degrees below zero.
Fourth street, looking north from Market. Fourth street changed again in the 1890s from bazaar of busy stores and hotels a quieter habitat of tall office buildings housing insurance and railroad agencies. This picture dates from about 1903; the horse cars have given way to electric cars but there are no automobiles on the streets and the styles are strictly what Grandmother used to wear. Left to right: the old Courthouse, Planters Hotel, Rialto Building and Merrell Drug Company.
What was once a bazaar of busy stores and hotels in the 1880s had changed by 1903 to a quieter habitat of tall office buildings housing insurance and railroad agencies. Even transportation had changed, the horse cars giving way to the trolleys. This photo, looking north from Market, shows from left to right, the old Courthouse, Planters Hotel, Rialto Building and Merrell Drug Co.
Broadway and Washington, looking north. The I. B. Rosenthal Millinery occupied the corner store at 421-423 Washington and one of St. Louis' largest luggage emporiums was at 608 North Broadway and blazoned his merchandise with a big sign reading "Trunks". This picture was taken in 1891 and shows the ill-advised Broadway cable car completed at great expense in the very year when the trolley car made its successful debut on the Hodiamont line.
Symbolic of the old and new in the year 1891 is this scene at Broadway and Washington where the modern and "speedy" trolley cars are seen crossing the double tracks of the expensive and short-lived Broadway cable transit line.
Fourth and Washington, looking south. Miss Elizabeth A. Mageon, Milliner right, is listed at 709 North Fourth in 1878 and J.H. Crane, Furniture wholesale and retail, Fourth, cor. of Washington, was one of the big advertisers in the 1878 directory. Crane's name can be made out on the store at the left. The Benton Bellefontaine horse car and Fourth street horse car a renegotiating the busy intersection without help of a traffic officer. The building housing Miss Mageon's ship was the National Guard Armory.
To the rivermen, whose steamers delivered the cargo that made St. Louis one of the nation's largest thoroughfare. But to the people who lived in this booming metropolis in the 1870s, Fourth... Fourth street, the commercial artery of St. Louis, had everything- from fancy milliner... the Benton Bellefontaine and Fourth street horse cars negotiating the busy intersection...
Fourth was "The Street" to residents of this booming metropolis in the 1870's. This scene, looking south from Washington avenue, shows the busy commercial artery which had everything, from millinery rooms to hack stands.
Chouteau Ave. looking east from 15th St.
Even back in 1866 they were eternally fixing the streets, like this scene at Fifteenth and Chouteau. Thirty years later the city boasted 350 miles of "fully improved" streets, the best "sprinkled" thoroughfares in the country. Today the city has 997 miles of paved streets.