....Clayton History Society.... A Pictorial History

1911 - Autenreith Hotel and Hotel Claymo

2009-10-25T15:27:00.005-05:00

Location: N.E. corner of Forsyth at N. Meramec Avenue

January 2, 1911 Fire at Autenreith Hotel

January 2, 1911 Fire at Autenrieth Hotel

The Autenreith Hotel was rebuilt after the 1911 fire. The name changed to the Hotel Claymo in 1924 when the hotel was sold to Joseph Parks, according to Dickson Terry. It ceased to be a hotel in the late 1920's. It became an office building for General Title Company, and then the Bond Clothing Company occupied the space from 1950 to 1957. It was returned to office space for the Chicago Title Company.

Source: Private collector

Postcard - Date unknown

Source: Private Collector

1930 postcard

1930 Postcard - Clayton Presbyterian Church

2009-11-17T14:36:00.000-06:00

Former Location: The N. E. corner of Hanley at Forsyth. According to Dickson Terry, this former building was built in 1913 and was used by the church until 1931 when the congregation merged with Central Presbyterian Church. The building next operated as the Bopp Funeral Home from 1931 until 1961. The building was demolished to make way for the Missouri Savings and Loan Building in the early 1960's. Currently the bank is called US Bank, located at 10 N. Hanley Road.

Source: Private collector

1930 postcard

1930 Postcard - Clayton Methodist Church

2009-11-17T14:11:00.000-06:00

Location: 101 N. Bemiston at Maryland Avenue (the N.W. corner)

Source: Private collector

1930 postcard

1909 Postcard - Trust Company of St. Louis County

2009-11-17T17:46:00.000-06:00

Location: 52 S. Central Avenue at Carondelet (the N.E. corner). It was an ornate white concrete and stone building, built in 1906. It was sold and later occupied by the Guarantee Trust Company and the bulding was demolished.

Source: Private collector

1909 postcard

1930 Postcard - Country Club Court

2009-11-21T10:58:00.000-06:00

Location: Looking west from N. Hanley. Most homes were built in the mid-1920's.

Source: Private Collector

1930 postcard

Autenreith Hotel Souvenir

2009-10-25T15:00:00.000-05:00

"The imprint says "Christmas Greetings- A Happy New Year from Autenreith Hotel Co. Clayton, MO. The box is about 5" long and 3"tall and 3" wide with a hinged top and some intricate carvings on all exterior sides. My grandparents lived in St Louis until the early 1970's and this was some of the things they brought south with them."
--Chuck Davis

Source: From the photo collection of Chuck Davis

Esquire Bowling Lanes

2009-08-04T15:26:00.000-05:00

Location: Clayton Road at Big Bend

Source: Private collector

Date unknown

Al Baker's Restaurant

2009-10-24T15:26:00.000-05:00

Location: Clayton Road and Brentwood. The fine dinig restaurant was established in 1966 and closed in 1994. The restaurant building no longer exists. Linen N' Things was built on that location which closed in 2009.

Source: Private collector
Date unknown

1978 - Cyranos's Restaurant

2009-11-17T11:50:00.000-06:00

"Location: N.E. corner of Clayton Road and DeMun. Commerce Bank is presently located there."

--David Bales

Source: David Bales collection

1978

1930 Postcard - Clayton Masonic Hall

2009-11-17T14:22:00.000-06:00

Location: ???

Source: Private collector

1930 postcard

1927 - N. Central Avenue

2009-08-04T15:21:00.000-05:00

Source: Private collector

1927 - Looking north

Date unknown - S.E. corner of N. Central at Maryland Avenue

1907, 1930 and 1951 - St. Louis County Court House

2009-08-04T15:20:00.000-05:00

Source: Private collector

1907

Date unknown

1930 postcard

1951

1930 Postcard - Polo Drive residences

2009-11-17T13:44:00.001-06:00

Source: Private collector

1930 postcard

1930's - Meramec at Shaw Park Drive

2009-04-30T13:42:00.000-05:00

"These photos were purchased from the Missouri Historical Society. The first picture is identified as being 1935. I believe that is incorrect, it probably was 10 years earlier, or at least somewhat earlier. Notice there is the "Meramec" sign on the utility pole. The second photo seems to not have a sign, which we can't explain. The rail line is at a rising-angle and we know in olden times there was a rail bridge crossing Brentwood Boulevard. The street going down hill to the right would correspond with Shaw Park Drive, even as it is now. The #1 photo is shot at a southwest angle, but #2 is shot straight south. The broken "support shaft" on the utility pole shows in both photos----no homes across the rail line in the #1 photo but they show in #2 photo. Also, there is a telephone line on the far side of the rail line and a primitive street light at the intersection. So, I believe photo #2 may be 1935 but the #1 photo was earlier. If you study photo #2 carefully, there is an obvious large tree at the left center and UNDER the tree can be seen a house in the distance. Because of depth-of-field of a camera, the tree is close to the intersection, and the home is farther away than the photo shows. The home has a large limestone arch around the front door. I went looking for that house in Davis Place and found it! It is 8010 Rosaline Drive, which is the second block South of the Forest Park Parkway and MetroLink nowadays. In 1935, the visual from the Meramec corner is without obstruction. The view would be impossible nowadays."
--- David Bales

Source: Photos from David Bales collection

Photo #1 - Meramec at Shaw Park Drive (southwest view)

Photo #2 - Meramec at Shaw Park Drive (south view)

1985 - Clamorgan Restaurant Fire

2009-04-29T16:43:00.000-05:00

"This fire occurred in the summer of 1985, which was most unfortunate because the structure has an interesting history. The location is directly across Clayton Road from the Galleria Shopping Center. Originally, it was built as the Hegeman Studebaker agency. The rear part of the building had a domed ceiling constructed like the old Arena, without columns. The architectural style of the roof has a specific name which escapes me for now.

In the early '60's Hegeman moved over to Manchester to sell Volkswagens and a fellow named Joseph Wieman purchased the property from Clayshire Drive west to Black Creek. He was the older brother of Hans Wieman, the hair specialist who operated until recently on Brentwood Boulevard. Mr. Wieman aspired to build a restaurant, although he had no experience in the business.

The interior was very well done with Spanish tile on many floors, a huge 'sunken' bar area and chandeliers in most rooms; the entry area with a large wooden chandelier was constructed to the front of the former auto dealership. One interior feature was a solid wooden beam, 40 feet long, and 12 inches square which ran from the rear of the lobby to the rear of the building.

Wieman sold the entire property to Stephen Apted in 1966 and Apted used the name Country Cupboard and then just Cupboard. I was the operating manager from 1966 to about 1971 and afterwards he leased the restaurant to others. As I recall, he wanted to sell all the attached property including the restaurant about 1984 and the Scholarshop Foundation was interested in the area. The fire occurred while workmen were removing old heating units from under the eaves at the rear.

While I worked there, Black Creek would sometimes flood; there was no concrete channel like the creek has now. The restaurant building was at a lower level than the top of the creek, so water ran downhill into the front door and out the back door. Since the hallway was tile, no damage was done."
--- David Bales

Source: Newspaper clip from David Bales collection

1985

1960's - Streetcars

2009-03-26T11:40:00.000-05:00

"This area is a ROW (right of way), running North and South, in the 1960's for the streetcars shown. The streetcars are called 'PCC's which identifies the LAST type of such cars manufactured for this country before the present MetroLink type LRV's came into existence.

Notice in the distance, behind the cars, is the bridge crossing over the"old" FPPW onto Central Ave. In 2009, the exit ramp from the "new" FPPW is exactly at this point, also crossing MetroLink.

Currently, this land area in 2009, is directly behind Meramec School... the school is to the left and down the limestone embankment.

To the right----East----is the condos at the end of North Polo Drive.

The sign shown - Walinca - identifies the original name of the street which still runs today from Polo Drive to the end. "

--- David Bales

Source: From the collection of David Bales

Circa 1960's

1959 and 1957 and 1930 - St. Louis Institute of Music (former orphanage)

2009-08-04T11:44:00.000-05:00

The Institute was founded in 1924 by J. P. Blake Sr. It was originally known as "The Progressive Series Teachers College". It was also known to be an orphanage home at one time. The address of the Institute was 7801 Bonhomme Avenue - Clayton 5, Missouri. This was at the intersection of Bonhomme and Bemiston. The building does not exist any longer.

Source: St Louis Institute of Music website - 1959

Source: Private collector - 1957

Source: Private collector - 1930 postcard

1953 and 1951 - Stevenson's Gas Station

2009-08-05T01:14:00.000-05:00

"This view is to the WEST with Skinker Road shown in front, Clayton Avenue would be on the left and rear of the station and Clayton Road is on the right. This station was torn down in 1959-60 and a new service station was erected. Nowadays, the brand of gas is BP but the sign was such a landmark that special permission was obtained to keep the present Amoco sign. "
--- David Bales

Source: Newspaper clip from the collection of David Bales
1953

Source: Private collector

1951 postcard

Clayton Car License Plates

2009-03-26T11:59:00.000-05:00

"Clayton had these small license plates which were issued to residents; the 'poor condition' one is dated 1954 and the other is 1970. They were to be affixed under your front state license plate. We have to assume they were used instead of 'city stickers' during that time span."
--- David Bales

Source: From the collection of David Bales

1968 and 1951 - Aerial views of Clayton

2009-04-30T15:34:00.000-05:00

"It's of paramount importance to credit this photo to Robert Srenco, although I purchased this and three other really fine shots from him for a goodly amount three years ago, they are in my collection now---all four. Something like this is just wonderful to study. For example, notice the old Forest Park Parkway is not yet constructed. Shaw Park Drive runs EAST to Bemiston, it appears to be blacktop, and a smaller road runs east to Hanley. The old railroad right-of-way, south of Shaw Park Drive is a parking lot from Meramec up to the NE corner of Meramec School. The court house area is a sunken parking lot, the old courthouse and jail is there along with the 1952 courthouse."
--- David Bales

Source: Robert Srenco Photo from the collection of David Bales
1968 - View from S.W. to N.E.

Source: Newspaper clip from David Bales collection

1951 - View from S.W. to N.E.

1940 - New Clayton Post Office Branch

2009-08-04T15:12:00.000-05:00

Source: Private collector

Clayton High School

2009-08-04T15:16:00.000-05:00

Date unknown

The Taylor School

2009-08-04T15:19:00.000-05:00

Location: N. Central and Kingsbury. The school and building no longer exists. The location is now Taylor Park.

Date unknown

1909 - Forsyth Boulevard

2009-04-30T14:21:00.000-05:00

This photograph, dated September 28, 1909, appeared in "The Woman's National Daily" on October 21, 1909 as part of a series titled "Views in University City." The caption read "Forsyth Boulevard, a part of the great belt boulevard being constructed to run entirely around University City, five miles in length. The buildings of Washington University are shown in the foreground." The planned completion of the five mile circle never took place. Today, Forsyth Boulevard begins at Skinker Road just east of the St. Louis City limit and runs west into Clayton.

Source: Internet search

1909

Barford Chevrolet

2009-08-04T15:17:00.000-05:00

Date unknown