Saint Louis 1909

In 1909, Bessie Gwillim Law took a trip to Saint Louis, Mo., to visit family and to see the sights. She kept a journal of her travels in pencil, in a little notebook about 2.2" x 4". I have transcribed the entire journal as accurately as I could, here:

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1909

Miss Bessie Gwillim,

235 Main St,

Bristol, Conn.

4225 Finney Ave.,

St. Louis, Mo.

168 Eugenie St.,

Chicago, Ill.

[Erased, barely legible:]

Gertrude Valentine

1616 N. Monroe St.

Chicago, Ill.

Sept. 30.

Left Bristol for St. Louis at nine ten A.M. At Springfield took a Pullman, the “Jacinta.” Saw Hudson River, boat –– Morse. Passed through Schenectady. Rows of houses all alike. Syracuse Train runs through business streets.

E. Washington St.

Oct. 1.

Went to bed in N. Y. woke up at Crestline, O. Very cold in O. warmer as we came into Ind. Large fields of corn, growing and stacked. Indianapolis quite a large city. Low houses with no underpinning.

Terre Haute surprisingly small and dirty. Fine broad paved streets in almost the smallest towns. Paris streets unusually so. Set watch ahead an hour. Saloons very prominent.

Oct. 2 – Went down street with Harold. Saw principal buildings and large stores. Saw ball game report at Post Despatch just as the game was being played. Buildings all decorated for the Centennial week.

Oct. 3 – Went to church morning and evening. Thermon 80 degrees.

Oct. 4 – Went to Aero Club grounds and saw ten or more baloons go up for a long distance race. They were – Centennial – Cleveland – St. Louis No. 3 – University City – Indiana – Pommery – New York Peoria – Missouri – Independent – (Hoosier didn’t go.). Uncle Frank took us in a carriage over Kings Highway and other residential streets. Very hot all day.

Oct. 5 – Went down to Mississippi R. saw Water Pageant. 300 boats came down the river decorated in Club colors. Water very muddy. Went to Union Market which is a whole square devoted to fish and meat markets open from all sides. It also has country produce and fruit. At night Harold and I walked to Grand and Lucas Ave. and saw the Veiled Prophet Parade. The crowd was enormous. A street car caught fire near us but was quickly put out. There were twenty floats in procession representing modes of transportation of different nations also old fashioned engine – up to date engine – auto-dirigible, aero plane and baloon in a storm. The prophet sat on an immense dragon beautifully lighted by colored electric lights.

Oct. 6 – Stayed home all day. Uncle Rob came out at ten A.M. and then again at four; Looked worn out.

Oct. 7 – Went out to Forest Park in the P.M. – Harold and I went by electrics saw Baldwin and others in Dirigables and Curtis in his aeroplane. Saw the Farman Biplane but it did not fly. The dirigibles have gas oblong bags and a long base made of wooden pieces. The operator stands on just a strip of wood and works the rudder and propellr by ropes with his hands. We waited from six to eight oclock before we could get a car home, and cars were running as fast as possible simply filled. We were pretty well worn out when we at last got home.

Oct. 8 – Mother and I went down town and made a tour of the big stores. There are some very fine ones here but they have queer names like “The Leader”, “The Famous” “Good Luck”, “Barr’s” “Nugent’s” and “The Model.”

Oct. 9. Went for a walk in P.M. Had some ice cream. A thunder storm came up and lowered the temperature.

Oct. 10 – Went to First Presbyterian Church. Harp and violin for music.

Oct. 11 – Mother and I went down town shopping. Had lunch at Union Market.

Oct. 12 – Went to Mr. Wycoff’s new house to house warming. All the people were very free and easy and not hard to get acquainted with. Very pleasant, and pretty house.

Oct. 13 – Went to Columbia Theatre with Harold. Pretty theatre and good entertainment. Went down and bought tickets for Chicago.

Oct. 14 – Mr. Squires the minister came to dinner and the Wycoffs in the evening. Had a thunder shower.

Oct. 15 – Left St. Louis for Chicago on Chicago + Alton Line. The day coaches were leather chairs, and very comfortable. Fred met us at the station and brought us home.

Oct. 16 – We all went down to Marshall Field’s in the afternoon. It takes up two blocks. Has reading, rest, children’s rooms, hospital, and the lunch room takes up the entire 4th floor. They feed two thousand every day. Went into Carson Pirie + Scott’s, which is an immense store. Played Five Hundred in the eve, and learned how to play Forty Thieves.

Oct. 17 – Wrote letters till dinner time. Went out to Lincoln Park and saw Lake Michigan. Walked along Riverside Drive and crossed the high bridge they call Suicide Bridge on account of the many people who have jumped off to end their lives. Then we went through the zoo. Saw all kinds and conditions of animals and birds. Walked thru the Greenhouse which was a perfect bower of ferns and palms. Saw some beautiful lavendar orchids also some “baby orchids” a baby in the center of each.

Oct. 18 – All went down street and through all the big stores. Bought a coat at “The Fair.”

Oct. 19 – Stayed home until evening then went to the Colonial Theatre which used to be the Iroquois before it was burned. The play was “The Follies of 1909.” I rather liked it but the others didn’t. The theatre is very pretty – decorated in green.

Oct. 20 – May and I went down town and were caught in the rain in The Boston Store.

Oct. 21, - We took lunch at Marshall Field’s. Had a very swell spread. Then went over on the west side to call on Annie Valentine. Her daughter Gertrude showed me how to make plaster of paris pictures, also a book of “Peter + Polly.”

Oct. 22 – Took a walk on Riverside Drive. Saw Mrs. Potter Palmer’s house and other beautiful residences. The drive has a fine view of the Lake.

Oct. 23 – Went down street with May shopping. Played “Devil among the Pegs” in the evening. It is a large box partitioned off with small doors in each partition. A top is spun and runs in and out the doors, hitting pegs placed in each compartment. It is a very unique and entertaining game.

Oct. 24 – Went to the Auditorium and heard Gunsaulus in the morning. Went to Mich. Ave. and saw the starting of Grant Park. In the P.M. Fred and I walked over to Riverside Drive and three miles along the shore of the Lake.

Oct. 25 – Went down street and had lunch at King Joy Lo’s. Chop suey on rice and tea was the menu. It contained a little of everything and was so hearty we couldn’t eat much. The restaurant was a wonder. All the tables chairs and walls were inlaid with pearl and a marble fountain was in the center of the room. Over this a Chinese piece hung from the third story.

After lunch we went to Orchestra Hall and heard Gipsy Smith speak. There was an immense crowd there and we expected to be crushed before we got in.

Oct. 26 – Went down street and bought a hat at Carson, Pirie + Scott’s. Then we went over to Valentine’s to lunch. Had a very nice time.

Went to see Ezra Kendall in The Vinegar Buyer at the Northwestern Theatre in the evening.

Oct 27 – Wed. – Went through the new LaSalle Hotel, then to a Cafateria to lunch. We got our own knives, forks, spoons and then walked along a counter and took what we wanted, then sat down and ate it. After lunch we went to Jackson Park ten miles from home on the south side of the city to the old World’s Fair site. The Art Building is still there and is used for the Field Museum of Natural Arts. It is an immense building, long with a wing on each side. We saw mummies taken from Pompeii and Totem poles and all sorts of stuffed animals in their natural haunts. We were there almost an hour wandering around and then didn’t begin to see everything. Then we went down to the Lake, but the wind blew such a gale that we didn’t stay long and were glad to get home by the fire.

Oct. 28 – Went to Jackson Park in the A.M. saw the birds and animals. Took the train at three for home. At Detroit we were switched on to a boat and carried across to Canada. Our baggage was all looked over and tagged. Saw Niagara Falls and went across Suspension Bridge.

Oct. 29 – Got out at Buffalo and went down stairs to the station.