Little Known Facts about St. Louis, Missouri (the Gateway City)

How much do you know about St. Louis, Missouri? Most of us know that St. Louis is called the Gateway to the West and that the Gateway Arch is the world’s tallest (man-made) monument. Another well-known fact is that St. Louis is also home to the world’s largest brewery, Anheuser Busch.  Here’s some other fun facts to learn a little more about our great city.

1.St. Louisans consume more barbecue sauce per capita than any other city in America.

2.   The first lung cancer operation and first lung transplants were performed in St. Louis.

3.The soft drink Dr Pepper was introduced at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis . 7-Up also was invented in St. Louis.

4. St. Louis was the site of the demonic possession treated by a Jesuit priest from St. Louis University Theological that inspired the book, and later the movie, “The Exorcist.”

5. The ice cream cone was invented at the 1904 World’s Fair. So was iced tea. Hot dogs and hamburgers were popularized to a wide audience at the Fair.

6. St. Louis was once the largest shoe-manufacturing center in the world — home of Buster Brown and other famous brands.

7.The largest collection of mosaic art in the world graces the walls and ceilings at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis in the Central West End neighborhood.

8. St. Louis is home to the oldest institution of higher learning west of the Mississippi River – Saint Louis University .

9. Hawken Rifles and Murphy wagons, used by the western pioneers, were made in St. Louis.

10. The cocktails–Planter’s Punch, Martini, Bloody Mary, and Tom Collins–were invented at a St. Louis hotel, the Planter’s House.

11.The custom of placing chocolates on hotel pillows begins here when the actor Cary Grant stayed at the Mayfair and used chocolate to woo a woman friend.

12.The first Jewish congregation west of the Mississippi was founded here as was the first library west of the Mississippi.

13. Famous writers including T.S. Eliot, Maya Angelou, William Gass, Tennessee Williams, Eugene Field and many others were from St. Louis.

14.The Missouri Botanical Garden is among the top three botanical gardens in the world.

15.The first ironclad boat was built by James Buchanan Eads in the Port of St. ! Louis . Eads also invented the diving bell to salvage steamboat wrecks from the Mississippi River and built the first bridge using steel truss construction – the 1874 Eads Bridge.

16. St. Louis offers more free, major visitor attractions than anyplace outside of the nation’s capital, including the Saint Louis Art Museum , Saint Louis Zoo, Cahokia Mounds, Museum of Westward Expansion ,  Missouri History Museum, Anheuser-Busch Brewery, Grant’s Farm and more.

17.The first kindergarten in the U.S. was founded in St. Louis by Susan Blow.

18.Peanut Butter was invented here on a visit from George Carver.

19. Famous musicians including Chuck Berry, Tina Turner, Miles Davis, Albert King, David Sanborn, Michael McDonald, (The Doobie Brothers) were from St. Louis . Missouri native Sheryl Crowe taught school in St. Louis .

20. St. Louis was the first American city to host the Olympic Games (1904).

21. Famous contemporary actors including John Goodman, Kevin Kline and Scott Bakula were born in St. Louis . Other famous actors and entertainers including Josephine Baker, Betty Grable, Vincent Price, Buddy Ebsen, Redd Foxx, Shelly Winters, Virginia Mayo, Marsha Mason and many others also called St. Louis home.

22. The Mercury and Gemini space capsules were built in St. Louis by McDonnell Douglas – now Boeing.

23. The world’s first skyscraper – Louis Sullivan’s Wainwright Building – was built in 1897 in St. Louis .

 24. Charles Lindbergh flew mail routes into St. Louis and named his plane “Spirit of St. Louis” to thank the businessmen who provided financial backing for his solo Atlantic flight in 1927.

25. The nation’s first interstate highway was constructed here.

26.The Gateway Arch – at 630 feet – is the nation’s tallest man-made monument.

27.The Mississippi River runs 2,350 miles from Lake Itasca in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico . The word ” Mississippi ” comes from the Anishinabe people (Ojibwe Indians). They called the river “Messipi” which means ” Big River ” The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains a navigation channel nine feet deep in the center of the river.

28. The bread slicer was invented here circa 1900.

29. The 2nd professional fire department in USA was started here in 1850.
( Cincinnati started the first 2 years prior).

30. General Grant & Robert E. Lee both served as new West Point officers at St Louis.

31. Jefferson Barracks still open as reserve base, museums & park, is the second largest military cemetery in the U.S. and was the site of one of the bloodiest battles in the Civil War with 25,000 killed.

Thanks Joe P