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Welcome to The St. Louis Newsletter!

In today’s edition:

• After ditching downtown, state eyes replacement building.

• Upcoming Mariah Carey concert

• A deep-dive into the life of Harriet Scott

• And more…

Quote of the Week

"In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on."

— Robert Frost

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Trivia

Here is your trivia question of the week. The answer will be shown in next week’s newsletter. Which do you think it is? No cheating!

In St. Louis, which historic public market has been in continuous operation since the 18th century, offering fresh produce, meats, and local goods?

A) Soulard Market

B) Central West End Market

C) The Hill Market

D) Cherokee Street Market

Answer to Last Week's Trivia:

The historic public market in St. Louis that has been in continuous operation since the 18th century, offering fresh produce, meats, and local goods, is A) Soulard Market.

News

💼 Business

After ditching downtown, state eyes replacement building. (Link)

Blues fire Bannister after rough start, hire ex-Bruins head coach Montgomery. (Link)

💼 Business Resources

New AI Children's Book Maker: Instantly generate children's books about ANYHING you choose, and illustrate them with beautiful pictures and charming characters in minutes. (link)

Breakthrough AI-Powered Chrome Extension that helps businesses explode their reach on social media and generate more business online. (link)

🏒 Sports

Blues fire coach Drew Bannister, name Jim Montgomery replacement: Why St. Louis made the move. (Link)

NHL at the quarter mark: One stat that sums up each team’s 2024-25 season so far. (Link)

🏦 Finance

Judge OKs St. Louis' acquisition of Railway Exchange Building through eminent domain. (Link)

Upcoming Events

Here are some events that are happening in our city this week. There is a good mix between sports, entertainment, conferences, concerts, and more.

Sports

🏒 Philadelphia Flyers at St. Louis Blues
Enterprise Center, St. Louis
Saturday, Nov. 30th | (More info)

🏀 Jackson State Tigers at Saint Louis Billikens Men's Basketball
Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis
Monday, Dec. 2nd | (More info)

Music & Concerts

🎤 Mariah Carey
Enterprise Center, St. Louis
Friday, Nov. 29th | (More info)

🎻 Lindsey Stirling
Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis
Saturday, Nov. 30th | (More info)

Family

🥌 The Chalet + Curling Every Sunday
7730 Bonhomme Ave, St. Louis
Sunday, Dec. 1st | (More info)

Image of the Week

Every week, I have a habit of making some AI art about our city.

This week, I typed in “St. Louis streets with interactive, responsive surfaces” and this is what I got.

Let me know what ideas you have for this. I really enjoy making these types of photos.

St. Louis Historical Events

Urban Renewal and the Pruitt-Igoe Housing Project (1954-1972) - Notorious for its failure and subsequent demolition.

Urban renewal, a policy initiative prevalent in the mid-20th century, aimed at revitalizing urban areas that were considered blighted or underdeveloped. These endeavors sought to clear old buildings, streets, and railways, replacing them with modern infrastructure, housing, and commercial spaces, ostensibly to foster economic growth and improve living conditions. However, urban renewal also faced criticism for displacing communities, eroding historic neighborhoods, and privileging certain social and economic groups over others. This approach to city planning and development was epitomized by projects like the Pruitt-Igoe housing complex in St. Louis.

Pruitt-Igoe, initiated in 1954, was a large-scale public housing project designed to address the acute post-World War II housing shortage while also serving as a model for urban renewal in St. Louis. Comprising 33 eleven-story buildings, the complex was meant to offer a solution to the city’s slums, which were seen as hotbeds of crime and poverty. Pruitt-Igoe was named after Wendell O. Pruitt, an African American pilot and local war hero, and William L. Igoe, a former US Congressman, symbolizing an attempt to embody a progressive and inclusive vision for the future. Despite these ambitions, the project was marred by poor design, inadequate maintenance, and a lack of resources and community support, turning it into a symbol of urban renewal’s failures.

By the late 1960s, Pruitt-Igoe had deteriorated significantly with rampant crime, vandalism, and abysmal living conditions, becoming emblematic of the systemic issues plaguing public housing in the United States. The situation was so dire that, less than two decades after its construction, the decision was made to demolish the complex. The first implosion took place in 1972, an event that many point to as the death knell for modernist public housing projects and a stark illustration of urban renewal's misplaced priorities. The failure of Pruitt-Igoe became a cautionary tale about the limitations of top-down planning and the complexities of addressing urban poverty and housing, underscoring the need for more inclusive and sustainable approaches.

Famous People From St. Louis

Harriet Scott (c.1820–1876) - Wife of Dred Scott and co-plaintiff in the landmark legal battle for freedom.

Harriet Scott, born into slavery near Southampton County, Virginia, emerged as a significant figure in American history through her courage and resilience. Her life, intertwined with the landmark legal battle for freedom alongside her husband, Dred Scott, spanned an era marked by profound struggles and the quest for justice. Her journey from bondage to becoming a symbol of freedom captures the essence of the human spirit fighting against the shackles of enslavement.

Early Life in Slavery (c.1820-1830s)

Harriet Robinson Scott was born into a life of slavery around 1820. Her early years were spent on the plantation of Major Lawrence Taliaferro in Virginia, where she endured the hardships and indignities common to the enslaved population of the United States during that period. The specifics of her early life remain scant, but it was under these conditions of servitude that she developed the resilience and determination that would later define her.

Marriage to Dred Scott and Family Life (1830s-1846)

In the 1830s, Harriet's life took a pivotal turn when she married Dred Scott, a fellow enslaved person who worked as a body servant. Their union, sanctioned under the complex legal and social constraints of slavery, represented not just a personal bond but a mutual commitment to pursue freedom. Together, they started a family, welcoming two daughters, Eliza and Lizzie, into a precarious existence between servitude and hope for liberation.

Life in the Free Territories (1830s-1843)

The Scotts' quest for freedom was ignited during their time spent in free territories, including Illinois and the Wisconsin Territory, where Dred's owner, Dr. John Emerson, a surgeon in the U.S. Army, had taken them. The sojourn in free lands provided a basis for their later legal arguments, as they contended that residence in free territories had made them free.

The Legal Battle Begins (1846)

In 1846, spurred by the desire for freedom and the legal doctrine of “once free, always free,” Harriet and Dred Scott took an unprecedented step. They filed suit for their freedom in the St. Louis Circuit Court. This marked the beginning of an 11-year legal battle that would elevate their case to one of the most consequential in U.S. history.

The Dred Scott Decision and Its Aftermath (1857)

The legal odyssey culminated in the infamous Dred Scott v. Sandford decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1857. Chief Justice Roger B. Taney ruled that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, could not be American citizens and therefore had no standing to sue in federal court. This devastating decision not only denied the Scotts their freedom but also intensified national divisions over slavery.

Life After the Supreme Court Decision (1857-1858)

Despite the Supreme Court's ruling, the Scotts' quest for freedom took a turn for the better when their ownership was transferred to Taylor Blow, son of their first owner. Blow, in a gesture of goodwill and following public pressure, granted the Scott family their freedom in May 1857. This act of emancipation allowed Harriet and her family to live their remaining years in freedom, though under the shadow of the struggle that had defined much of their lives.

Harriet Scott's Final Years (1858-1876)

Following emancipation, Harriet Scott lived in St. Louis, where she worked as a laundress and seamstress, a testament to her enduring strength and resilience. Her life after the case illustrates the personal toll extracted by the long fight for freedom and dignity. Harriet Scott passed away on June 17, 1876, leaving behind a legacy intertwined with the traumatic yet transformative prelude to the Civil War and the abolition of slavery.

Connection to St. Louis

St. Louis played a central role in Harriet's life, serving as the backdrop for much of her family's legal struggle. It was in this city that the Scotts filed their suits for freedom and where Harriet lived out her final years. St. Louis was not just a physical location but a symbol of the complex interplay between freedom and bondage in the antebellum United States.

Key Achievements of Harriet Scott:

• Co-plaintiff, alongside Dred Scott, in one of the most significant legal battles for freedom in American history.

• Resided in free territories, setting the stage for a historic legal challenge against the institution of slavery.

• Withstood an 11-year legal fight, demonstrating remarkable resilience and determination in the face of systemic oppression.

• Finally gained freedom in 1857, exemplifying a personal triumph amid national turmoil over slavery.

Harriet Scott's life story is a poignant testament to the indomitable human spirit in the face of grave injustice. Her pursuit of freedom, alongside her husband Dred, laid bare the moral and legal contradictions of slavery in America. Despite the devastating legal defeat, the Scotts' battle against slavery galvanized public opinion and contributed to the growing anti-slavery sentiment that would eventually lead to the Civil War and the abolition of slavery. Harriet Scott remains a symbol of the struggle for justice and the enduring quest for human dignity.

Connect With Me

If you want to connect, reply to this email and let me know what you think.

I would love to hear from you. Don’t be shy.

-Yannick Lyons

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