Fourth in a 12-part series

Famous St. Louisans in aviation and beer making

(Editor's note: This is fourth in a series about famous St. Louisans, who are buried in local cemeteries. The information is from Kevin Amsler's book, "Final Resting Place: The Lives and Deaths of Famous St.Louisans.")

Aviation pioneers and brewery magnates dominate this article about famous St. Louisans who shaped the city and are now buried in the Bellefontaine Cemetery in north St. Louis.

The aviators were Albert Bond Lambert and James McDonnell. Among the beer-making figures are the tragedy-ridden Lemp family and Joseph Griesedieck.

Samuel Hawken, whose rifle was the weapon-of-choice during western expansion, is also buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery.

If you'd be interested in the previous three articles about St. Louisans buried in Bellefontaine, you can go to Past Stories on the home page and click on to October, 2006; November, 2006, and December, 2006.

(To buy Mr. Amsler's book, visit a local bookstore or visit www.STL-Books.com.)

Albert Bond Lambert
(December 6, 1875-November 12, 1946)

Albert Lambert had a prominent business career in his father's drug business, Lambert Pharmaceutical Co. But, it wasn't long before his interest in aviation took over a big part of his life.

His interest began in Paris in 1906, when he met a number of international balloon pilots.

He held balloon license No. 18, dated in 1907. He sponsored a number of balloon races and air shows.

Lambert took his first airplane ride with Orville Wright. And he became the first St. Louisan to have a private pilot's license in 1911. His license number was 61.

In 1910, he organized a 10-day aviation meet. That's where Theodore Roosevelt because the first American president to fly in an airplane.

During World War I, Lambert trained military pilots. When he was discharged in 1919, he began working to transform a 550-acre cornfield in Bridgeton into an airfield. Called Kinloch Field, it was the predecessor of the current Lambert International Airport.

Lambert privately maintained the field until he sold it to the City of St. Louis in 1928.

Lambert was one of the financial backers of Charles Lindbergh's trans-Atlantic flight in the Spirit of St. Louis.

He died in his sleep after working on Lambert Field expansion plans the night before.

James McDonnell Jr.
(April 9, 1899-August 22, 1980)

James McDonnell's aviation dreams resulted in the building of the largest company in St. Louis history. While a freshman at Princeton University, he took his first plane ride.

World War I broke out while he was still an undergraduate. He postponed his studies to join the army. After the war, he finished his education at Princeton and earned a master's degree from M.I.T. in physical mechanics of airplanes and flight.

He moved to St. Louis and set about forming his own aircraft manufacturing company. But, in his first year in business, the company had no sales or earnings its first year.

FH-1 Phantom

Then, came World War II. McDonnell Aircraft grew to employ 5,000 people.

His first government contract was to build the FH-1 Phantom, the first carrier-based jet fighter.

In 1959, the company won a NASA contract to build the Mercury space capsule. That's the one that pilot John Glenn used to first orbit the earth.

In 1967, McDonnell-Douglas Aircraft Company produced the DC-10 wide-body jet. At that time, McDonnell was chairman and chief executive office of the company.

The Lemp Family

The beer-making Lemp family had both business success and failure in St. Louis. Family members also had great personal tragedy, with four family members committing suicide.

The Lemp Mansion today

Three of the deaths occurred at the Lemp family mansion. That led to rumors the home was haunted by ghosts of the family.

Johann Adam Lemp came to this country from Germany in 1838. His first business was a family grocery in downtown St. Louis. He quit the grocery business to establish the Western Brewery in 1840.

Adam Lemp died in 1862 and was the first family member buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery.

Lemp Mausoleum

His only son, William, took over the brewery. In 1864, the company built a new plant in south St. Louis. The plant was built over a maze of natural caves, which were used for natural refrigeration and for aging beer.

By 1875, the brewery was St. Louis' largest. The company name was changed to William J. Lemp Brewing Company in 1892. By the end of the century, the firm had 1,000 employees and produced 500,000 barrels of beer.

The decline of the brewery and the suicides began shortly after.

William Lemp, Jr.

William Lemp killed himself in 1904.

Elsa Lemp, the youngest of William Sr.'s children, suffered bouts of depression. She shot herself in 1920.

The fate of the brewery company was sealed in January, 1920, with the beginning of Prohibition. The Lemp brewery was unsuccessful in efforts to make other products.

William Jr. blamed himself for the company's failure. He shot himself in 1922. His brother, Charles, killed himself in 1949.

The Spink Family

For over 100 years, the Spink family and baseball were linked together in St. Louis. And that link was The Sporting News. At one time, fans called it the "baseball bible."

Four members of the Spink family served as editor and publisher.

Spink Mausoleum

Al Spink, who helped establish the St. Louis Browns baseball team, began selling The Sporting News in 1886. It was then an 8-page paper that sold for five cents.

He sold his shares in the company to his brother, Charles. After Charles death in 1914, his son, John George Taylor Spink, ran the paper for 48 years. Taylor served as official scorekeeper for 11 World Series and helped uncover the "Black Sox" scandal.

Next, Taylor's son, C.C. Johnson Spink, took over the publication.

The Spink control of The Sporting News ended in 1977 when the Times-Mirror Co. bought the publication. But, to this day, The Sporting News continues to be headquartered in St. Louis.

Frederick Dent
(October 6, 1783-December 15, 1873)

Frederick Dent was a successful businessman. But, much of his fame came from being the father-in-law of General Ulysses S. Grant, Civil War hero and former U.S. president.

An interesting fact is that Dent wasn't in favor of his daughter, Julia, marrying Grant. But, later, he visited the White House often. He was there when he died.

Dent came to St. Louis from Maryland when he purchased the White Haven estate in southwest St. Louis. That property is now the site of the tourist favorite, Grant's Farm, as well as the Grant Historical Site.

In those pre-civil war days, many military men were friends but later fought on different sides in the Civil War. For instance, at Grant's wedding, one of the members of the wedding party was James Longstreet, later a famous general for the South.

Samuel Hawken
(October 26, 1792-May 9, 1884)

One of the most popular rifles during the days of Western Expansion of the country was invented and produced by St. Louisan Samuel Hawken.

The rifle was a favorite of such frontiersmen as Kit Carson and Buffalo Bill Cody.

A copy of his rifle is etched on his granite monument at Bellefontaine Cemetery.

Joseph Griesedieck
(July 11, 1863-July 14, 1938)

Another of the famous early beer-makers of St. Louis was Joseph Griesedieck.

In St. Louis, he operated at various times the National Brewery, the Griesedieck Bros. Brewing Co., the Griesedieck Beverage Company and finally the Falstaff Brewing Co. The Falstaff trademark was purchased from fellow beer-maker William Lemp.

Griesedieck's business did survive Prohibition. During that alcohol-free period, his company processed ham and bacon. After Prohibition, he went back to beer making.