The Missouri Civil War Museum

The Missouri Civil War Museum has been open since June of 2013 and has become one of the largest Civil War Museums in the Nation. The Museum was built where the Barrack's gymnasium was located during the Civil War. A research center is in being built currently in the building directly next to the Museum in order to achieve higher levels of research. 

An original copy of the book "Uncle Tom's Cabin," which is an anti-slavery novel written by American author Harriet Beacher Stowe. The book was published in 1852 and is said to have laid the grounds for the Civil War that follow in the years soon after the publishing date. 

 This is an original Bible from the Civil War that was written in German.

 The Beaver Felt Top hats were a popular worn item, with the trade market for beaver felt during the Civil War era in high demand. 

This 48 star United States National Flag was the burial flag for Private William Mennerich of Company C of the 4th Missouri Cavalry. Mennerich fought in many battles during the Civil War and at one time was even held prisoner at Belle Island, Virginia. 

Franz Schwarzer arrived in America from Austria in 1864. After moving to Washington, Missouri, he started making Zithers (the above instrument). This was a common instrument during the time of the Civil War.

As medicine was not that far advanced, the surgical kits in the 1860's made for a brutal and painful experience. As shown in the case above, the tools that were used were simple and provided a way to amputate the body part that was damaged. 

The different currencies from the Civil War Era. 

 Stereoscopes were first invented in 1833 by Sir Charles Wheatstone of England. This device allowed a person to view the photographs in 3-D. Civil War photographs were produced to be viewed in stereoscopes and became popular in the 19th and 20th century. 

Historic Downtown St. Charles

Historic Downtown St. Charles was founded in 1769 by a French Canadian fur trader named Louis Blanchette. The original name was Les Petites Cotes, which in English means "The Little Hills." During the Spanish control of the territory, San Carlos Borromeo was the new name for the town. Shortly after 1804, when Lewis and Clark met there to start their journey west, the name Saint Charles was given to the city. From 1821 to 1826, Saint Charles was Missouri's first state capitol while the permanent capitol in Jefferson City was being built. 

'Main Street' in Historic Downtown St. Charles, Missouri has been a popular shopping spot for over two hundred years. 

Historic Downtown St. Charles sits on the Missouri River.

Missouri History Museum

 The Missouri History Museum has a wide variety of historical artifacts on display. One major collection of artifacts that stuck out to me were the pieces concerning the slavery that occured in Missouri. The above photo shows the chains that would be attached to the feet of the slave, while the loop at the top connected to the other chains on the slave. 

The large container above is a brewing kettle that was used by the Falstaff Brewing company. The Falstaff Brewing company unsuccessfully tried to compete as a top brewing company in St. Louis, Missouri. 

Many swords were on display at the Musuem. This one in particular is a Confederate sword taken during the Civil War by Major James F. How of the 27th Missouri. Louis Bissonet is the maker of this fine, quality sword that many officers would have had. 

This is a very old Ted Drewes Uniform which is very different from the current uniform worn by employees. Ted Drewes has sold custard to millions of people over the years. Ted Drewes has been open since 1929 and the main location is directly on Route 66. Ted Drewes has also sold Christmas trees as a yearly tradition, with many families relying on the custard stand for a tree for their living room.

Brett Hull is one of the best hockey players in history, scoring over 700 goals in his career. He has had a big impact on the city of St. Louis, Missouri. Hull played for the St. Louis Blues for 11 seasons and is now the Executive Vice President for the Blues. 

Lafayette Square

The Lafayette Square Park is surrounded by many gates, there being an interesting story behind them. Before things in St. Louis were so urbanized, there were wild animals roaming the lands. The gates at Lafayette Square were built in order to keep the animals out so that people could relax without worrying about the wild animals. 

Through the gate of the park is a shot of what was the first gated community in St. Louis, Missouri. 

An old abandoned Gothic-style church by Lafayette Square, St. Louis, Missouri. The church was originally dedicated in 1908 for an Irish congregation. Immaculate Conception was the name for the church until the 1990s. St. Henry's had multiple fires and the second one in 1996 left their parish beyond repair, motivating them to merge with the Immaculate Conception. The churches combined names, forming the Immaculate Conception/ St. Henry's. The parish then closed in the year 2005 due to a decline in attendance.

Cathedral Basilica St. Louis

The Cathedral Basilica is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church and was completed in 1914. The Cathedral is located in Central West End, in St. Louis, Missouri. It was designated a Basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1997. 

This photograph shows the juxtaposition in the architechture within St. Louis. The Basilica on the left features a very traditional Byzantine Ottoman style of architecture, while the buildings on the right are more mid-century modernism in their structure-style. 

 Throughout the inside of the beautiful cathedral are many detailed religous symbols. From the gate at the front of the sanctuary that is made up of crosses to the ceilings, which are dedicated to display the stories of the bible.  

This is the Angel of Harmony statue that stands outside the Basilica. The 14 foot welded statue was sculpted by Wiktor Szostalo in 1999. Daniel Schlafy was the reason for the making of this statue, who was a dedicated civil rights activist. Harmony, peace, and racial justice are the themes that were meant to be represented in this welded statue.