1882: The Institutions of St. Louis

Mahatma Gandhi famously said “the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.” The history of St. Louis institutions holds some good examples of enlightened philanthropy toward early residents.

The following text is verbatim from: “A Complete Pocket Guide to Interesting and Important Places In The City Of St Louis Missouri.” George T. Parker; TJ Gilmore and Co, St Louis; 1882.

City Hospital

A great building at the corner of Linn Street and Lafayette Avenue, reached by the blue cars. The institution is under the superintendence of Dr. D.V. Dean. Patients are admitted by permit from the City Dispensary at City Hall

Home of the Friendless

This is an institution, or home, for friendless old ladies. It is on the southern part of the city, on Carondelet Road south of Meramec Street. 

City Poor House 

This sadly necessary institution for the succor and shelter of those unfortunates “whom Fortune smiled on but for a day, then coldly turned her face away,” is located on Arsenal Street Road. “Rattle his bones over the stones, only a pauper whom nobody owns.” How sad that such a song could be true in this age of the world !

Workhouse

Those who do not follow the “Black Mariah” with its load of miserable creatures of both sexes who seem not, as indicated by their acts of lawlessness, to fear God or man, will find this  concern, with its never-diminishing rock-pile, on Meramec Street and Carondelet Road.

Insane Asylum

This institution is located out on the Arsenal Street Road. Here are imprisoned all those poor unfortunates who seem to have “eaten of the insane root that takes the reason prisoner.”

Missouri Blind Asylum

Corner of Twentieth and Morgan Streets. A fine, capacious and well-managed institution. This is a beautiful building and a credit to the city and state. 

House of Refuge 

A fine large building on Louisiana Avenue and Gasconade Street. Here quite a large number of unfortunate children, without parents or guardians, or with incompetent parents, gathered in from “by-ways and highways, alleys and streets.” and given a comfortable home and good instructions. 

St Louis Gymnasium

This useful and popular institution is on St Charles Street at Ninth Street. It is here the manly muscle is developed and the puny David becomes strong enough to knock down a gigantic Goliath without a sling. 

Natatorium 

Once the old skating rink, corner of Nineteenth and Pine Streets, is now an elegant edifice for aquatic sports in summer and skating contests in winter. There you may plunge into the bosom of the deep and swim like a frog and spoil the Darwinian monkey theory, or glide in bewildering curves and labyrinthian lines over the crystalizes flood, according to the season, and there the lute-voiced merry-maid sporteth likewise. 

Conclusion

Judging the past by the standards of the present is unfair. After all, we swing and miss on many current attempts to ameliorate poverty, crime, disease and inequity. What’s important is making efforts beyond mere endless discussion. The good ideas rise and the others serve as object lessons for future idealists. From kindergartens to hospitals and asylums, St. Louis institutions have distinguished themselves over time. Even a colossal failure like Pruitt-Igoe originally launched with enlightened and benevolent intentions.

A city is a social laboratory, and it’s interesting to watch cities deal with traffic, overcrowding, civil unrest, homelessness and crime fueled by drug addiction. With any luck, we will choose future facing leaders when we vote in our local elections. We won’t learn what works without bold experimenting.

Resource

The primary resource for this essay is from the terrific virtual archives of the Missouri Department of State. Specifically, this book; https://cdm16795.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16795coll7/id/55874