This Month in St. Louis History

Anniversaries for railcar company,
Elvis, Buffalo Soldier

The St. Louis Car Co., Elvis Presley and female Buffalo Soldier Cathay Williams all shared significant October anniversaries here in the past. Well, in Elvis' case, it was more what he didn't do that got the notoriety.

The St. Louis Car Co. was one of the nation's top makers of railway cars from 1887 until the 1973. Its first shipment of finished cars was in October, 1887.

For Elvis Presley, October 23, 1955, was a significant anniversary mainly because he didn't perform. He arrived late for his appearance at the Missouri Theater and the concert was cancelled. He said he was late because he lost his wallet.

Cathay Williams was a female slave in St. Louis when Congress authorized formation of all-black Union military units. She passed herself off as a man and enlisted. She served until 1868, when she was honorably discharged on October 14.

These were some of the anniversaries that occurred in past Octobers.

Each month, staff members of the Missouri History Museum compile reports on significant anniversaries that marked months in the city's colorful past.

Young Saint Louis.com then brings those reports to you. We're interested in having you know more about this area's long history. It helps you understand where St. Louis has been and is going in the future.

(For more about St. Louis' and Missouri's history, visit www.mohistory.org.)

St. Louis Car Co.

St. Louis has a long and significant history as a center for transportation manufacturing. One of the earliest examples was the St. Louis Car Co.

But, its products weren't automobiles. Rather, the company was a railcar manufacturer.

The company was founded April 4, 1887 and shipped its first finished cars in October of that year. By the end of 1887, it had the capacity to make 400 railway cars annually.

By 1892, the company had capacity to make 100 cars per month, operating day and night.

As the nation's railroad transportation system grew, the St. Louis Car Co. was able to work right through the severe stock market crash of 1893.

In the early 1900s, the company expanded production to include streetcars. Cars were made for transit systems in New York and Chicago. It also made railroad cars exclusively for the Southern Railway.

By 1955, the firm was a division of General Steel Industries but finally closed in 1973.

For more, visit http://www.ironhorse129.com/rollingstock/
builders/St_Louis_car.htm.

In Places to Go, Things to See, read of the Museum's "Shifting Gears" auto exhibit.

Elvis Presley didn't perform here

The year 1955 was a starting point for Elvis Presley. But, his tour through St. Louis that year was marked by a non-performance. On Sunday, Oct. 23, 1955, Elvis was scheduled to start performing at the Missouri Theater at 2 p.m.

But, when the time came, Elvis wasn't in the house. He arrived late and gave as his excuse that he lost his wallet. The performance was cancelled.

When Colonel Parker heard about it, he docked Elvis his pay. At that time, before he became famous, he worked for $125 per show. Things got better soon afterwards.

If you're an Elvis fan, there's a fun website for more. Visit www.elvispresley.com.au.

Buffalo Soldier Cathay Williams

Cathay Williams was born in Independence, Mo., in 1842. She was in servitude to a wealthy farmer. When the Civil War started, Union soldiers took over the farm.

Cathay and several other female servants were taken to Little Rock, Ark., to cook for the troops. Eventually, she ended up in Washington, D.C. where she was cook and laundress for a Union general.

After following along during several campaigns, she ended up in St. Louis. That's when Congress authorized formation of all-black military units, known as Buffalo Soldiers.

In 1866, she enlisted in the 38th U.S. Infantry, giving her name as William Cathay. Since little or no medical exam was involved, her enlistment stuck.

She served nearly two years before she reported to the infirmary because she was ill. After an examination, she was honorably discharged on Oct. 14, 1868. But, by then, she had become the first female member of the Buffalo Soldiers.

For more, visit www.buffalosoldiers.com/CathayWilliams.htm.

Noted Aviator Thomas Scott Baldwin

Thomas Scott Baldwin is one of the most significant figures in early aviation history. But, now he is little known. One of his early feats involved St. Louis.

Baldwin was born in 1854. After a stint as a brakeman on an Illinois railroad, he joined the circus as an acrobat. One of his stunts was to go aloft in a hot-air balloon and do tricks from a trapeze.

The acrobatic act, which was done several hundred feet in the air, turned into a world tour, including a show for the Prince of Wales in England.

In 1904, Baldwin created a 53-foot airship, the California Arrow. It won a one-mile race at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. The aircraft had a substitute pilot because Baldwin had gained so much weight the ship wouldn't fly with him in it.

In 1908, Baldwin sold the U.S. Signal Corps an improved dirigible, which was powered by a 20-horsepower Curtiss engine. It became the Army's first powered aircraft.

After 1909, Baldwin shifted his attention to heavier-than-air aircraft. One was nicknamed "The Red Devil."

For more about Baldwin, visit www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/aircraft/baldwin.htm.
For lighter-than-air pictures, visit www.stereo.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/airships.htm.

A unique Jewish website

The Missouri History Museum is helping communities within the St. Louis area create historic websites. The first is with the United Hebrew Congregation.

This group is the first Jewish congregation in St. Louis. It was formally organized on Oct. 24, 1841. An Orthodox congregation at the beginning, it became Reformed in the 1870s.

To view the website, visit www.historyhappenedhere.org/details.php?id=90.

The museum plans to help establish further community websites.