"In one of the most memorable photographs in the history of American politics, the 'sure loser' holds aloft a premature Chicago Tribune headline. Heading east after the election, Truman's train had stopped at St. Louis where he was handed a copy of the paper." --quoted from Truman by David McCullough

Presidential St. Louis

Throughout St. Louis' history, the office of the president of the United States has impacted St. Louis and St. Louis has influenced that office. Visitors to St. Louis can discover the city's presidential connections by touring several free, historic attractions. The following are some historical and fun facts about St. Louis' relationship with those who have the held the nation's top job:

Thomas Jefferson

President Thomas Jefferson's dream of a continental United States became closer to reality when he purchased the Louisiana Territory, which included St. Louis, from France for $15 million in 1803. Today, Jefferson's vision is commemorated on St. Louis' Mississippi River bank with a gleaming, 630-foot stainless steel sculpture known as the Gateway Arch. The Arch, now the internationally recognized symbol of St. Louis, is part of the 97-acre Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, a national park dedicated to America's westward expansion and the movement that made St. Louis the Gateway to the West. More than 4 million annual visitors explore the Arch grounds which also include the Museum of Westward Expansion located beneath the sculpture, St. Louis' Old Courthouse and Luther Ely Smith Square.

Zachary Taylor and Ulysses S. Grant

Another site open for visitors is Jefferson Barracks. Named to honor President Thomas Jefferson, the Federal Army post opened in 1826 as the nation's first "Infantry School of Practice" and played an important role in westward expansion. In addition to being named after the country's third president, two other presidents served the Army at "JB"--12th president Zachary Taylor and 18th president Ulysses S. Grant. Grant wasn't the only Civil War general formerly stationed at Jefferson Barracks. Philip Sheridan and William T. Sherman, who later became a full-time St. Louis resident, also served here. Ironically, Confederate leaders Robert E. Lee and Confederate President Jefferson Davis were among the soldiers who had toiled at this Federal Army post built high on St. Louis' Mississippi river bluffs. Today, Jefferson Barracks houses a national cemetery and a military museum.

Ulysses S. Grant

In 1843, young Second Lieutenant Ulysses S. grant, fresh from West Point, was assigned to St. Louis' Jefferson Barracks. Grant was a frequent visitor to the home of his academy roommate Frederick Dent who lived on his family's St. Louis County farm, White Haven. There he met and fell in love with Dent's sister Julia. Five years later, upon "Sam" Grant's return from the Mexican American War, the couple married on August 22 at the Dent's St. Louis city home at Fourth and Cerre Streets. The young couple lived at White Haven until Grant's military assignments separated him from his wife and young family. Grant dreaded the separation from Julia and the children so much that he resigned his commission and returned to them in St. Louis. Grant built a log cabin home on a 100-acre tract on the White Haven farm given to him and his wife by his father-in-law. He and his family lived there for three months until his mother-in-law Ellen Dent's death after which the Grants moved back to the main family house. Located 15 minutes from downtown St. Louis and open free of charge, White Haven is operated as the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site. Visitors can tour the Victorian-style house and grounds and learn more about the Dent and Grant families' lives at the interpretive center operated by the National Parks Service.

Hardscrabble, the log cabin home hand-built by U.S. Grant, can be seen from April through October at Grant's Farm, a 281-acre animal preserve operated by St. Louis' Anheuser-Busch, Inc. The free attraction also features a Clydesdale horse breeding farm, a petting zoo and animal conservation and skill shows. Incidentally, Grant's cabin was moved from its original setting near what is now St. Paul's Churchyard Cemetery to be placed on view as a major attraction at St. Louis' fabled 1904 World's Fair.

U.S. Grant sold cordwood harvested from his Hardscrabble farm at St. Louis' Soulard Farmer's Market. Produce, fresh meats, spices and flowers are available to modern day shoppers Wednesday through Saturday. In operation since 1779, Soulard is the nation's oldest farmer's market and a cornerstone of Soulard, St. Louis' oldest neighborhood. Only minutes south of downtown St. Louis, Soulard is known for its brick row houses, blues music clubs, corner taverns and as home to the world headquarters of Anheuser-Busch, Inc., the world's largest brewer. Soulard celebrates its French heritage each year by hosting one of the nation's biggest Mardi Gras day celebrations and spirited events to commemorate Bastille Day.

In 1861, U.S. Grant legally freed his only slave at St. Louis' Old Courthouse, the building that was the scene of Dred and Harriet Scott's historic freedom trial. The famous case, which started in 1847 at the Old Courthouse, focused national attention on the slavery issue. Scott won his case in St. Louis only to have the Supreme Court overturn the lower court's ruling, denying Scott and his wife Harriet their freedom on the grounds that they were not U.S. citizens and, therefore, not entitled to sue. Visitors can tour the historic courtroom and St. Louis history galleries and participate in National Park Service ranger-led reenactments of the famed Dred Scott trial.

Abraham Lincoln

Just north of St. Louis, neighboring Alton, Illinois was one of the places where future president Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas engaged in a series of "Great Debates." The primary topic: slavery. Statuary and an historical marker note the site of this senatorial debate in Alton's Lincoln Douglas Square. Off historic Route 66, just two hours from St. Louis in Springfield, Illinois, visitors can tour the historic home of America's 16th president, see the Old State Capitol where Lincoln also debated Stephen Douglas and visit Lincoln's tomb at oak Ridge Cemetery. Just north of Springfield is New Salem, a log cabin village where young Lincoln lived before his political career began, now a living history museum.

Theodore Roosevelt

Thanks to President Theodore Roosevelt, the "lights were shining" in St. Louis on April 30, 1904. That day, through the magic of turn-of-the-century public relations, from the East Room of the White House, T.R. "turned the key" which officially opened the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. Roosevelt visited the St. Louis fair on November 26, 1904 to be greeted by more than 200,000 cheering fairgoers. An avid outdoorsman, Roosevelt was most pleased that the first Olympic Games ever staged in the United States were taking place in St. Louis in conjunction with the fair. The games were held at Washington University stadium which is now known as Francis Field in honor of David R. Francis, the St. Louis civic leader who was the president and director of the famous fair.

The ever-intrepid Theodore Roosevelt became the first president to ride in an airplane when he boarded a plane at St. Louis Kinloch Airfield in 1911.

Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson won his party's nomination at the 1916 Democratic Convention in St. Louis. Wilson appointed St. Louisan and 1904 World's Fair president David R. Francis as ambassador to Imperial Russia. Francis served Wilson in that position until the Bolshevik Revolution provided the incentive to return to the United States.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the recipient of a true St. Louis-style gift in 1934. The first case of post-prohibition Budweiser was delivered to FDR at the White House via the Budweiser eight-horse hitch. The now famous draft horses and signature red wagon were presented to the St. Louis-based brewery's owner by his son August A. Busch Jr. Since that day, the Clydesdales have become synonymous with Anheuser-Busch and St. Louis, appearing in commercials and at major events and parades throughout the country. Visitors can tour the famous brewery's headquarters in St. Louis throughout the year.

In 1935, to set the wheels in motion for the future Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, FDR proclaimed the St. Louis riverfront a National Historic Site and authorized the National Parks Service to manage the area.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt arrived in St. Louis in 1935 to dedicated the site for a memorial to St. Louisans who lost their lives in World War I. Now known as Soldiers Memorial, the free downtown memorial museum honors U.S. veterans and war dead from both World Wars, Korea and Vietnam.

Harry S. Truman

"This is one for the books." So said Missouri's own President Harry S. Truman when presented with the infamous newspaper bearing the headline, "Dewey Defeats Truman." The celebrated photograph of a victorious Truman raising the erroneous Chicago Daily Tribune was taken on the back of a train car at St. Louis Union Station on November 3, 1948. Once the world's busiest passenger train station, St. Louis Union Station has found new life as a festival marketplace of shops, restaurants, nightclubs, a man-made lake complete with paddleboats, a 10-screen movie theatre and the luxurious Hyatt Regency St. Louis hotel. The image of Harry Truman casts a glow from a neon sculpture along a front in downtown St. Louis on Olive Street between 9th and 10th streets.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

The Jefferson National Expansion memorial, better known as the Gateway Arch, was dedicated on May 25, 1968 by Vice President Hubert Humphrey. The only president to take the tram ride to the top of the 630-foot tall monument was Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Thomas Eagleton (Vice presidential candidate)

Democrat Eugene McCarthy tapped Missouri senator and St. Louisan Thomas Eagleton to be his Democratic vice presidential running mate in 1972. Eeagleton's name was later removed from the ticket. Eagleton was instrumental in the Senate's passage of the Clean Air and Water Acts and sponsored the Eagleton Amendment that halted the bombing of Cambodia and effectively ended U.S. military involvement in Vietnam. St. Louis' newest skyscraper and the nation's largest federal courthouse have been named for the senator.

AND NEXT...

No need to wait for this year's presidential election returns. St. Louis already has streets bearing the names of the two major party candidates. Suburban Ballwin, Missouri claims Bush Drive and Gore Avenue is a tree-lined street in the Webster Groves neighborhood.

SOURCE: ST. LOUIS CONVENTION & VISITORS COMMISSION

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