Photograph of lions lifting their training into the air by pulling a rope beneath him during a lion show at the St. Louis Zoo. A crowd looks down at the scene from above.
Headed overseas before Christmas, Pvt. George A. Posey wistfully spent his last few minutes in St. Louis yesterday at Union Station with his girl friend, Miss Margaret Scheer, 226 Fannie ave., Luxemburg, as the Southwest Hight School Choir strolled through the station singing Christmas carols. Posey, who had been stationed at the Army Medical Depot here, was off for Seattle and duty overseas.
Jimmy Moore, left, and his brother Freddy, who lived on Hunt Avenue, try to cool off on July 14, 1954. The day's temperature was a record 115 degrees, making it the hottest day ever in St. Louis history. Here, the Moore boys enjoy what they called 'The Original Water Park.' Photograph donated by J. R. Moore.
Second oldest in service among St. Louis high schools, Sumner, now located at Pendelton and Cottage avenues, has sent out nearly 8000 graduates from this building and its former home at Eleventh and Spruce streets.
Photograph of baseball executive Ford Frick and New York Yankees manager Casey Stengel together at the 1957 All-Star game. The two are smiling as Frick crosses his fingers.
There are hours and days when Union Station takes on the appearance of several years ago when more than twice as many passenger trains as now use the station were scheduled daily. Here's the rotunde at 3:35 p.m. on a recent week day. Promotions by some of the railroads serving St. Louis are reversing the declining passenger trend.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry E. Schultz, 5361 Minerva ave., with their two younger children, Carol, 7, and Jeffrey, 3. Mr. Schultz says, "I found out that when you don’t know anybody to turn to, United Fund will go to bat for you."
The St. Mary Magdalen Boy Scout troops march in the school parade, June, 1955. Photograph donated to the St. Louis Mercantile Library by Sherlyn Maughs.
A new sign of the times made its appearance in St. Louis Saturday when part of the Union Station train shed was taken over by automobiles. The last four tracks at the east side of the train shed have been roped off as a parking area to accommodate users of special trains during the football season. Some 3000 fans left Union Station Saturday aboard four special trains to the Army-Illinois game at Champaign, Ill. The new covered parking facility, entrance to which is at Eighteenth and Clark streets, the southeast corner of the train shed, is 1000 feet long and accommodates approximately 500 cars. A flat rate of $1.00 is charged for cars left there by patrons leaving and returning on special trains. Roping off of the parking area (no new construction was involved) means that Union Station has lost on one side part of what it gained at the other back in 1929 when 10 new tracks were added at the west side of the train shed. In those days, an average of 650 trains used to station every day. Nowadays, the average is slighty over 100.
Phil the gorilla, as impressive in death as he was in life, still draws crowds at the St. Louis Zoo, where the mounted figure is on display in the Old Elephant House, next door to the ape house where he lived before his death last December. The massive figure, standing erect in a characteristic pose, holds the fascinated gaze of three young visitors, Karen, 3, and Debra Hartman, 5, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Lyode Hartman, 943 St. Charles st., St. Charles, Mo., and Pam Karrenbrock, 7, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mel Karrenbrock, Wentzville, Mo.
Girls of one of the gymnasium classes engage in a game of softball on one of the playing fields at Harris Teachers College, with the main school building in the background.
A new day nursery at Puritt Homes, Jefferson avenue and Dickson street, is providing care for the tots of working mothers at the housing project. Reading to a group of 3-year-olds is Mrs. Doris Thurman, 4646 Palm st., one of the nursery teachers.
The midway at Union Station was almost deserted last night as a result of the strike of three railroad brotherhoods which has paralyzed operations of the Terminal Railroad Association in St. Louis. All railroads except the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio have suspended passenger service at Union Station.
Clydesdales visit Behrmann's Tavern, 3155 Meramec Street, July 18, 1952. Pictured are Gus Behrmann and Bernie Marstall. Photograph donated to the St. Louis Mercantile Library by Bill Marstall.
Homeward-bound for Christmas, thousands of St. Louisans rushed to board trains, busses, planes. Here is one of the many crowds waiting at the various gates in the Union Station Midway yesterday for trains to take them off on the three-day Christmas holiday.