St. Louis Related Books on History and Genealogy

Frenchtown by John Rodabough, 1980. ISBN 0-86629-021-4, 60 pages. This book is available for check-out at the St. Louis Public Library. Loads of great old pictures. "Frenchtown, that most romantic of all ninteenth-century St. Louis neighborhoods -- Chouteau's Pond to Sugar Loaf Mound. Wainwright's Brewery, Sts. Peter and Paul Church, DeMenil's Mansion, Cracker Castle -- they were all a part of that section that gave birth to the modern Soulard and LaSalle Park."

General Nathaniel Lyon and Missouri in 1861 (originally published in 1866) by James Peckham. The granddaddy of all Missouri Civil War scholarship, and is full of names. It will be an ongoing project, but the first part is up and available for viewing online here. Thanks to Geo and Deb Rule.

History and Growth of St. Louis County, Missouri by Robert A. Cohn, Administrative Assistant to the St. Louis, County Supervisor (Lawrence K. Roos). 1969. 210 pages. Lots of good historical background on the formation of St. Louis County. Click here for the Table of Contents of this book.

A History of St. Louis City and County(published by L. H. Everts & Co., 1883) was written by J. Thomas Scharf. Two volume book set. Click here for St. Louis Public Library's index of this book.

History of St. Louis County, Missouri(published by the S. J. Clarke Publishing Company in 1911) is a two-volume book set written by William L. Thomas. Click here for St. Louis Public Library's index of this book.

Immigrants on the Hill: Italian-Americans in St. Louis 1882-1982 by Gary Ross Mormino. ISBN 0-252-01261-5. It is a wonderful collection of Italian immigration history, particularly of Cuggiono, the village from which most of the Hill settlers emigrated. It also has great stories of life on the Hill, and the author interviewed many of the prominent Hill residents. It's a must read for anyone with an Italian heritage! Reviewed by Pam Huss (mrsdigger@aol.com)

In Her Place by Katharine T. Corbett. A guide to St Louis women's history, published by the Missouri Historical Society Press, 1999. Reviewed by LaVerne

In Search of Freedom, by Guido Kisch. Kisch wrote from the perspective of a Bohemian Czechoslovakian native seeking to show the impact those countries Jewish emigrants had on the United States. There is a lot of detailed information about the 1848 period, Isador Busch and the Block family. Some of the statements about the Block family are repeated in various other works such as Ehrlich's Zion in the Valley regarding St. Louis. Many of the family names are familiar from the lists of people in St. Louis Jewish history. Abeles, Schwartzkopf, Wedeles, Bloch, Kohn, etc. It could be useful to anyone researching Bohemian or Czech Republic Jewish ancestors. A lot of names and families are covered. If you'd like a look-up from this book contact Dan Brockman at danbbrockman@sprintmail.com

J. C. Strauss Portrait Collection. The collection consists of approximately 250 studio portrait photographs of St. Louisans prominent in government, business and industry, and professions, taken by J. C. (Julius Caesar) Strauss. All the portrait subjects were dead before the collection was presented to St. Louis Public Library on March 26, 1912. Click here for St. Louis Public Library's index of this collection.

Mound City Chronicles(published in 1991 by Hartmann Publishing Co.) was written by William Stage. Click here for St. Louis Public Library's index of this book.

Old and New St. Louis: a Concise History of the Metropolis of the West and Southwest, with a Review of its Present Greatness and Immediate Prospects (published in 1894 by the Central Biographical Publishing Company) was written by James Cox. Click here for St. Louis Public Library's index of this book.

Saint Ferdinand de Florissant, The Story of an Ancient Parish by Gilbert J. Garraghan, S.J.; Copyright, 1923 by Loyola University, Chicago, Ill; reprinted with permission 1998 by the Florissant Historical Society located in the Gittemeier House, Dunn Road, Florissant, Missouri. Details the establishment of Florissant and her French Canadian founding fathers. Great genealogy book and well as historical facts. (submitted by Yvonne Mooney at mooney@webcombo.net)

St. Louis: The Future Great City Of The World was written by Logan Uriah Reavis in 1871. 218 pages. Click here for St. Louis Public Library's index of this book. Then, if you find something of interest in the index, click here for images of the entire book online.

St. Louis Germans, 1850 - 1920 (The Nature of the Immigrant Community and Its Relation to the Assimilation Process). Olson, Audrey L. Arno Press, 1980, 346 pages, hardbound, 5X8, cost $42.95 The book contains a number of charts with dry statistical data but it also contains wonderful descriptions of the everyday life of this era for the Germans of St. Louis. This include the prejudice felt by the community during WW I and also the tensions between various factions of the community. There is also a great bibliography at the back of the book for further research. (Review by Jeanne in San Antonio)

The Saint Louis Irish (St. Louis, Mo.: Old St. Patrick's, 1967) was written by Ellen M. Dolan. Click here for St. Louis Public Library's index of this book.

St. Louis: Its Neighborhoods And Neighbors, Landmarks And Milestones (published by St. Louis Regional Commerce and Growth Association in 1986) is edited by Robert E. Hannon. Click here for St. Louis Public Library's index of this book.

Saint Louis Silhouettes Being an Extraordinary Compendium of Historical Fact and Hitherto Unrecorded Vignettes of our Fair City by Elizabeth S. Benoist. 1985, 233 pages. Chapter: Old Courthouse, Old Cathedral, Soulard Market, Eugene Field, Oakland, Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion, Henry Shaw's Garden, Jefferson Barracks, The Chouteaus, Eads Bridge.

Sidewalks of St. Louis: Places, People, and Politics in an American City by George Lipsitz. University of Missouri Press, Columbia, Missouri 65201. The copyright date is 1991. This one contains no genealogical information but conveys the author's complete obsession with St. Louis. He isn't even a native, but his admiration comes through in every chapter of this selective treatment of St. Louis history. He lived in St. Louis from 1963 to 1982 and now is Professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of California, San Diego. Leaving St. Louis was an absolute pain for him. That is obvious on reading his book. Reviewed by Christian Mentrup, Kansas City, Missouri. Click here for St. Louis Public Library's index of this book.

Zion in the Valley, Volume I by Walter Ehrlich, published by the University of Missouri in 1997. It's a valuable resource for early St. Louis Jewish history from the 1807 beginnings to 1907. If you'd like a look-up from this book contact Dan Brockman at danbbrockman@sprintmail.com