This Month in St. Louis History

First American Legion post in St. Louis

The American Legion is one of the largest war veterans organization in the country. It's first post was organized in St. Louis in March of 1919.

Also, the pilot who gave a U.S. president the first flight in an airplane started his training in March, 1910. He gave the president his ride in St. Louis later that year.

(Each month, the Missouri History Museum helps Young Saint Louis.com compile a number of items about people and events that shaped the state's history. If you'd like to know more about state and area history, visit www.mohistory.com.)

First American Legion post in St. Louis

The American Legion was established after World War I to honor the nation's wartime veterans. The first organizing caucus was held in Paris, France.

But, the second caucus that established the group's constitution was held in St. Louis, March 15-17, 1919. Also, the first post was formed at that time.

The post was named the Quentin Roosevelt American Legion Post 1. It was named after the son of President Teddy Roosevelt. Quentin Roosevelt had been shot and killed while a pilot during WWI.

There are two website links that give you more information.

A history of Missourians in WWI can be found at: http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/county/stlouis/
mo1stww.htm

And an article on the American Legion can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Legion

Ex-president Teddy Roosevelt's first air flight

Former president Teddy Roosevelt

Former president Teddy Roosevelt had a reputation of being an adventurer. He added to that reputation 1910 when be because the first U.S. president to fly in an airplane.

The pilot that day was Archibald Hoxsey, who was a member of the Wilber Wright Exhibition Flying Team.

Hoxsey was born in Staton, Ill, in 1884. He became an auto mechanic and then got interested in the new airplanes that were first flown at Kitty Hawk, N.C., by Orville and Wilbur Wright.

Wilbur Wright had a pilot school at Montgomery, AL, and Hoxsey joined in March, 1910. It wasn't long before he was a favorite of Wilbur and a member of the Wright flying team, giving demonstrations across the country.

Archibald Hoxsey

In October, 1910, the team was performing in St. Louis while former President Roosevelt was in town. The ex-president made arrangements to fly with Hoxsey from Kinloch Field.

Here's the start of the United Press article about that event:

"St. Louis (UP)--Col. Roosevelt defied death late yesterday when he went up in an aeroplane with Aviator Arch Hoxsey. More than 10,000 persons breathlessly watched the flight, fearing the colonel's daring on the spur of the moment might mean death or injury.

"After two laps around the Aviator Field, Hoxsey brought the machine gracefully to ground, having flown nearly three miles in three minutes and twenty seconds.

"It was fine. Fine!" ejaculated the ex-president, as he crawled from the narrow seat through the network of wires.

"Hoxsey said later the colonel made a model passenger, except he took too many chances. As the airship flew by the grandstand at a 60-mile clip, Roosevelt leaned over, waving his hand to the crowd."

Hoxsey would die later that same year.

For more on Hoxsey, visit http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_Hoxsey.

For the complete UP story from St. Louis, visit: http://about.upi.com/AboutUs/index.php?ContentID=
20051018121141-32491

Landscape designer for 1904 World's Fair

George Kessler

The landscape designer for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair was George Kessler. He was an early student of forestry, botany and landscape design, three fields of study that were developing in his native Germany.

In 1882, he was in New York when he contacted Frederick Law Olmstead, one of the noted park designers in the world. Olmstead got Kessler a commission to work in Merriam, KN, near Kansas City.

He was consulting with the Kansas City Park Board when he became a landscape advisor for the St. Louis World's Fair. Not only did he do landscaping before the fair opened but he was hired to repair the area after the successful fair ended.

World's Fair Pavilion

Much of that area is now what we know as Forest Park.

Kessler died March 20, 1923.

For a complete biography of Kessler, visit: http://www.landmarks-stl.org/architects/bio/george_edward_kessler/

Fire ruins of hotel in Tower Grove Park

Thomas Warying Walsh

Architect Thomas Waryng Walsh was the architect who built the old Lindell Hotel on Washington Ave. between 6th and 7th street.

The hotel was started in 1856 and wasn't finished until 1863. But, it was a grand hotel and the opening banquet and ball attracted 3,000.

It took nearly seven years to build but it burned to the ground just four years after opening. The fire was March 30, 1867.

Tower Grove Park hotel ruins and pond

Henry Shaw was developing Tower Grove Park at that time and bought some of the stone rubble from the hotel. Shaw, founder of the Missouri Botanical Garden, thought the stone rubble could give Tower Grove Park a feeling of ancient ruins.

Those stones make up a facade of ruins along one side of Sailboat Pond in the park.

Here are a couple internet links for more about the Liddell hotel and about architect Waryng Walsh: http://stlouis.missouri.org/parks/tower-grove/Hist_Features/Landscape_Arbor_Hort.htm and http://www.landmarks-stl.org/architects/bio/thomas_waryng_walsh_1826_1890