This Month in St. Louis History

Famous St. Louis birth dates in June

June was a month with lots of birthdays of both prominent people and lasting institutions.

Katherine Dunham, undoubtedly the most famous dancer in St. Louis’ history, was born on June 22, 1910. So was former St. Louis Cardinal outfielder Lou Brock, born June 18, 1939.

Two famous institutions also came into being in June.

The Hilltop campus at Washington University was formally dedicated during commencement ceremonies in June, 1905. And on June 18, 1920, a 170-acre hayfield became what is now Lambert International Airport.

These are just some of the historical events that have shaped St. Louis’ history.

Of course, there are also lesser events--some serious and some trivial--that helped flavor St. Louis’ colorful history.

For instance, in 1849, St. Louis was in the midst of a tragic outbreak of cholera. In the past, that disease was a killer of many persons. For instance, on just one day--June 25, 1849--records show there were 99 burials of cholera victims in St. Louis.

In a lighter vein, in June, 1944, the St. Louis Cardinals faced the youngest player to pitch in the major leagues. The Cincinnati Reds’ Joe Nuxhall appeared in his first game on June 10, 1944.

He pitched 2/3rds of an inning, when he was just 15 years, 10 months old.

The Cardinals won, 18-0, and Nuxhall walked five and gave up two hits. He went on to a long career in Cincinnati as both a player and radio announcer.

Katherine Dunham (1910- )

Katherine Dunham’s life has been associated with East St. Louis, Ill., for 40 years. And she still lives there.

But, she was born in Chicago and was known internationally as a dancer and civil rights advocate even before moving to the St. Louis area.

She first came to the St. Louis area in 1964 when she accepted an artist-in-residence appointment from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. Three years later, she moved to East Saint Louis to open the Performing Arts Training Center (PATC).

There, she offered local blacks an opportunity to learn about African cultural history and the arts. During the hectic 1960s, she had numerous run-ins with local police when she actively recruited gang members and black militants to her PATC.

In addition to work in East St. Louis, Dunham was active in civil rights work in the East and South, in the African country of Senegal and in Haiti. For a time, she ran an unlicensed medical center in Haiti to provide care in one of the world’s poorest countries.

For more about Dunham,, visit www.toptags.com/aama/bio/women/kdunham.htm.

Lou Brock (1939- )

Lou Brock gained most of his fame as a St. Louis Cardinal centerfielder. He came here in a trade with the Chicago Cubs, who got Cards’ pitcher Ernie Broglio.

That trade is considered to be one of the most one-sided trades in major league baseball. Brock went on to lead the Cardinals to a World Series championship in 1967. He also set the MLB stolen base record (938) before it was broken by Rickey Henderson.

Brock was named to the Hall of Fame in 1985. He is now a businessman in St. Louis.

For more on Brock, visit the Cardinals website at http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com. Then click on to History.

Washington University

From 1853 to 1905, Washington University was located in downtown St. Louis. But, the school long considered a move to a western campus. The Hilltop Campus west of Forest Park was purchased in the mid-1890s.

In 1899, a national competition for an architectural firm to design the campus was held. The winner was a Philadelphia firm, Cope and Stewardson. Construction began in October, 1900.

Even in its new buildings, Washington University retains that original architectural vision.

During the 1904 World’s Fair, a total of nine buildings were leased for use as administrative offices and exhibit space. Construction of four of the nine buildings was funded by lease payments from the fair organization.

First use of the Hilltop campus for classes began in January, 1905, just two months after the World’s Fair closed. Formal dedication of the campus was at commencement in 1905.

For more about the campus, visit www.wustl.edu/tour/hilltop/intro.html

Lambert International Airport

What is now Lambert St. Louis International Airport started out as one man’s dream. Major Albert Lambert purchased 550 acres of land which contained Kinloch Field.

At first, it was a balloon launching location. Then, St. Louis was the site of the first experimental parachute jump in the world.

Lambert had taken his first airplane ride with flight pioneer Orville Wright. He was the first person in St. Louis to get a private pilot’s license.

He established Lambert field on June 18, 1920. At his own expense, he cleared, graded and drained the land. He also built the first airplane hangers. Eight years later, Lambert Field was a base for passenger and freight service.

On Feb. 7, 1928, the city of St. Louis purchased the airfield from Lambert for $68,000. That was the cost of the land before Lambert made all the airfield improvements.

For more about Lambert Field, visit www.lambert-stlouis.com/about/history.htm.