1910 CornerstoneSettlement Patterns | Sacred Landscapes | Landscapes and Change
This “1910” cornerstone in the McMillan Courtyard is easily overlooked, as grass threatens to block it from view and it does not demand much attention. However, its significance could be vast. This symbol of the year 1910, perhaps the year the courtyard’s construction was finished, invites us to look at what was happening in St. Louis at the time. In terms of settlement patterns, St. Louis was the 4th largest urban place with a population of 687,029 in 1910 (it is not even in the top 50 today). 1910 marked the beginning of the migration from the city of St. Louis to its suburbs, during which the county population doubled while the city population only grew 12% during the same time. This era completely shifted the settlement pattern of the region. This brings into question various economic, racial, social, and cultural factors that impact where families choose to and are able to live, and have drastic consequences on the future of a landscape that are still felt today, 100 years later. In 1910, the Independent Brewing Company building was built on top of what may remain of Native American mounds and the community itself. This site is now within the planned development of the new Rams stadium, forcing us to consider the treatment and protection of sacred landscapes over time. It also reminds as that landscapes are active; their use and function often changing with time. 1910 was the year the Wright Brothers’ most successful aircraft, the Model B, began production. President Theodore Roosevelt came to St. Louis and flew in a Model B during this time. This points to the political nature and significance of innovation. The Model B, and aircrafts in general, changed the way society viewed landscapes. The scopes and scales of our perceived landscapes completely changed with the introduction of flight, as well as our ability to travel from one landscape to another. |