This Month in St. Louis History

Notable births and deaths in Januarys past

The wife of President Ulysses S. Grant and the founding director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) were born in Januarys past. A man who had a hand in founding numerous local institutions died in a past January.

And the man who was the first to put whipped cream inside a can (think Reddi-Wip) was born in St. Louis in the early 1900s.

Each month, the Missouri History Museum compiles a monthly list of people and events from the area's past. Then, Young Saint Louis.com brings you this listing so you'll know more about the colorful past of the place where you live.

Julia Dent Grant is born Jan. 26, 1826

Julia Dent Grant

Julia Dent was one of seven children born to a successful St. Louis fur trader. The family lived at "White Haven," which was patterned after a southern plantation.

U.S. Grant and one of Julia's older brothers attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. They also were stationed together at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis.

The romance between Ulysses Grant and Julia was an off-and-on thing. One time, he was away fighting in the Spanish-American War. Another time, Julia's father broke up the pair because he thought Grant was just too poor.

After their marriage, U.S. Grant left the Army and the couple lived at a near-poverty level. But, when the Civil War started, Grant resumed his military career.

By the end of the Civil War, he was the Union's top soldier. Then, he was elected president of the United States for two terms.

But, after the presidency, Grant again became poor. But, a big advance payment for his life story restored the family's fortunes. Grant finished the book just days before he died of cancer. The publisher's payment was the largest cash advance for a book to that time.

Julia Dent Grant died in 1902.

(The Missouri History Museum will open an exhibit, "First Ladies: Political Role and Public Image," on Sunday, Feb. 12. Mr. Grant is included in the exhibit. For information, visit www.mohistory.org.)

 

ACLU founder born Jan. 21, 1884

Roger Nash Baldwin

Roger Nash Baldwin was born in Massachusetts. But, much of the work that led him to co-found the American Civil Liberties Union was done in St. Louis.

He was born into an influential New England family, whose roots dated back to the Mayflower. The family's Unitarian religion exposed Roger to a free-thinking culture that valued activism and public service.

That led him to move from Boston to St. Louis so he could make his mark without help from noted family and friends.

While here, he established the sociology department at Washington University. He also was chief officer of the St. Louis Juvenile Court. He co-authored the book, "Juvenile Courts and Probation," the leading academic text in the field at that time.

He co-foundered of the American Civil Liberties Union in 1920. He held the post of founding director for 30 years.

(For more, visit http://www.extramile.us/honorees/baldwin.cfm)

 

William Greenleaf Eliot died Jan. 23, 1887

William Greenleaf Eliot

William Greenleaf Eliot moved to St. Louis in 1834 to found the Church of the Messiah. It was the first Unitarian Church west of the Mississippi River.

While here, he had a part in founding a number of other St. Louis institutions. They included the St. Louis Public Schools, the St. Louis Art Museum, the Western Sanitary Commission and Washington University. (The school's first name was Eliot Seminary.)

He also was the grandfather of the famous poet, T.S. Eliot. The famed author Ralph Waldo Emerson called W.G. Eliot the "Saint of the West."

(For more, visit www.stlouiswalkoffame.org/inductees/william-eliot.html.)

 

Reddi-wip developer born Jan. 5, 1914

Aaron "Bunny" Lapin was born in St. Louis on Jan. 5, 1914. He grew up to be an inventor and his company, Clayton Corp., made industrial valves and closures along with adhesives and foamed plastic products.

But, his most visible invention involved putting whipped cream into an aerosol can. At one time, one-half of all cans of the aerosol topping were his Reddi-wip brand.

Reddi-wip was created in 1948 and first marketed by St. Louis milkmen.

In 1994, author Henry Petroski called Reddi-wip "a little luxury that no one but the inventor deemed we needed but that all of us find indispensable once it is marketed."

In 1998, Time magazine listed Reddi-wip on its list of 100 greatest consumer products.

The product is now sold by Beatrice Foods, a subsidiary of ConAgra, Inc.

(For more, visit www.reddi-wip.com/products/products_history.html.)