Saint Louis

 After the game we went back to the room and then to 5:30 Mass at Basilica of Saint Louis King of France (The Old Cathedral). This is the first Catholic Cathedral west of the Mississippi River. The priest told us that this parish started in 1770, 6 years before our Nation's birthday! The existing building was not built until 1845. After Mass we walked around Laclede's Landing, had some dinner and then walked to the fireworks display right at the River. A great way to end a fabulous day!

Old Saint Louis Cathedral

The following is taken from a blogpost I had written in August of 2012 on our first major road trip and our first visit to St. Louis. St. Louis is a great city with a wonderful zoo, art museum, historical sights and beautiful churches.  On our current trip we really did not give the city justice, so thought I would show some of the things we saw last time.  

We headed out toward Forest Park and caught the metro to downtown and got off at Arch Laclede’s landing.  The arch is enormous and very beautiful.  It was built to beautify the downtown St Louis waterfront. 

They have a Westward Expansion Museum underground as well as various IMAX shows and a ride to the top.  We elected to do the museum.  They had a very interesting summary of American history from the early 1800’s on, in timeline format.  We learned where the saying Uncle Sam came from  .Sam Wilson, a meatpacker in Troy, New York is called “Uncle”Sam to distinguish him from a younger Samuel Wilson from the same town.  Soldier’s began to call Wilson’s meat “Uncle Sam’s” because of the stamp “U.S.”on the provision boxes.  We also learned where the expression O.K. came from The expression “OK” came into use during Martin Van Buren’s presidential campaign.  His nickname was “Old Kinderhook” because his birthplace was Kinderhook, New York.  Although the expression became an ubiquitous Americanism, Van Buren lost the campaign and the Presidency.

We then went to the Old Historic Courthouse which is run by the National Park Service.  This is where the historic Dred Scott case was heard and the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that African Americans were not US Citizens and therefore not protected by the Constitution but were property of their owners, therefore ruling slavery as Constitutional.  This was part of the beginning of the Civil War.

Dred and Harriet Scott

Old County Courthouse

  Then on to walking downtown area including War memorial and museum, Busch Stadium where the 2011 World Series champs St. Louis Cardinals play baseball.  The city was dead except at the arch.  Where are you St Louis natives?