Friday, February 14, 2025

Kirkwood Missouri History

Kirkwood is an inner-ring suburb that is located in the western part of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was just over 27,000 in the 2010 census. The city was founded in 1853 and was named after the builder of the Pacific Railroad that ran through the area, James P. Kirkwood. It was the first suburb that was planned for the west side of the Mississippi River.

There was a fire in St. Louis in 1849 that left many residents displaced. There was also an outbreak of cholera before and after the fire due to living conditions in St. Louis. Kirkwood was the first municipality that was built outside of the city boundaries.

The maps for the city first started to be drawn up in 1852. This was the point when the proposed town was given the name Kirkwood. The railroad reached the town in 1853 and lots for the Kirkwood Association were sold by the developers. The blocks were arranged into quarter sections. Deeds were put into place which restricted the development of the land for industrial purposes.

A station was built in the town in 1893 which was designed in Richardsonian Romanesque style. Today it is considered to be a symbol of the town and is listed on the National Register of Historical Places. This is the only other station in the St. Louis metropolitan area that Amtrak stops at other than the city center. There are four other buildings in the town that also have NRHP status which shows how the area has retained a lot of its historical status.

The Meramec Highlands resort was built on a bluff above the town in 1895. This resort overlooks the Meramac river. Not all of the resort still stands today but there are certain features that can be visited. This is another example of how the history of Kirkwood can still be seen in the town today.

The National Museum of Transportation can also be found in Kirkwood. This museum is situated over a 42 acre site and has a wide range of vehicles on show. The museum first opened in 1944. As you might expect, there is a particular focus on the history of the Pacific Railroad and the locomotives that would have traveled through the area on the railroad.

Traditions

There are many traditions from the past which are still carried out in Kirkwood today which makes it a great place to live and work.

The Greentree Festival is held in September on an annual basis. It was originally created to replace all the trees in the local park that had died due to drought. Today there is a parade and a fair and it is a very popular attraction with families.

Another annual event in the town is the Turkey Day Game. This is a tradition that dates back to 1907. The game is played between the Kirkwood High School Pioneers and the Webster Grove Statesmen and the two teams alternate as the hosts of the game. There is no other Thanksgiving Day high school rivalry that has been running for so long to the west of the Mississippi.

The farmers market in the town was first established in 1976. It is the best place in the local area to buy fruit and vegetables. Today it has grown in the size to the extent that over 300 local businesses contribute to the market every time it is held.

Apart from the transport museum, there are also other museums in the town. The most popular of these is the children’s museum which is known as The Magic House. Since it first opened in 1979 it has had a total of more than ten million visitors.

This post sponsored by
Accucare St. Louis In-Home Health Care
1185 N Price Rd, St. Louis, MO 63132 (314) 474-0020

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