HISTORY

Stories, Photos and Other Treasures from Our Archive

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Search for documents, videos and other historical records pertaining, your community, neighbors, homes, and family.

Historical Archives

Welcome to the Lafayette Square Archives. This is an effort we aim to sustain over time, collecting, cataloging, and sharing the history of the Square, with a special focus on the years of renewal here; say from 1968 on.

We currently have several hundred documents, 92 house tour booklets, and many photos scanned into pdf format in the archives. We’re collecting more all the time, and will share the stories we uncover in future postings.

Content without context is just a data dump – we’ll try to avoid that.  You’re welcomed and encouraged to submit your own stories and memories to archives@lafayettesquare.org.

The big idea is to develop a deeper appreciation of where we’ve been and how we got here, as a community.

The Lafayette Square Archives blog is a work now in progress. With your input, it will only get better as it develops.

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Mike Jones

Managing editor of the Archives section, and a veteran of volunteer stints with the Missouri History Museum and Missouri State Archives. Constantly curious about what lies beneath the surfaces of Lafayette Square.

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1994 – The Street Names Of Lafayette Square

A tidy little compendium of how Lafayette Square streets got their names.

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1967 – Tales From Two Lafayette Square Pharmacies

Lafayette Square is conveniently located. You can reach three different interstate highways, headed to who-knows-where, within a couple of minutes. If you want to access I-44 West, about 200 feet…

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1971: The Lafayette Square Restoration Plan

The New York Times of May 27, 2021 has a fascinating study into the long term social and economic costs of America’s drive to accommodate the automobile after World War…

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Using The Lafayette Square Searchable Archives

A benefit to living in Lafayette Square is our searchable archives, full of neighborhood information and history, down to the house and street and year, and who’s who and why,…

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2020: The Big Dig In Lafayette Square

Out walking the dog this morning, I was stunned by a discovery at the dig site for the new apartments along Chouteau Avenue. Here’s what it was… Praxair is a…

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1875 – The Lafayette Square Hotel

Sometimes a three story hotel on a conspicuous corner will simply disappear. Here’s the story of one in Lafayette Square.