Pierre Martin/Nicholas Boisrnenue House, East Carondelet, IL…read more I was allowed access to the inside the Martin-Boismenue House on October 10, 2015 for a photo-shoot. The house is now owned by the State of Illinois' Historic Preservation Agency. The Martin-Boismenue House used to hold two annual open-houses where the public was invited to view the interior of this late 18th century homestead and to interact with costumed interpreters to learn about French Colonial America. Traditionally these open houses were held during the Fete du Bons Vieux Temps in February and the St. Nicholas Tradition event in December, but they have not been held for over 10 years. The Pierre Martin Family. The Martin family was an old and large French Canadian family. Pierre Martin was born in La Rivenue Parish, Quebec, ca. 1745. He had arrived in the Illinois Country and was living in the village of Cahokia by 1770, the year he married Marie St. Yves. Pierre at age 42. He was listed in the 1787 census as the male head of a household living in Cahokia with two children. Pierre Martin was a Revolutionary War veteran. In the 1790 census, Pierre is listed as head of the household in the village of Prairie du Pont (East Carondelet), Illinois. He apparently acquired the property in this year as an improvement claim which require that he farm the land and built a house. It is therefore assumed that the Martini Boismenue House was constructed in 1790. In 1794, his Prairie du Pont property is described as consisting of a house, barn lot, garden, and other small outbuildings. The Martin-Boismenue House is a surviving example of the French Creole poteaux-sur-solle (post-on-sill) construction and one of the oldest structures of its kind in Illinois. This type of construction utilized upright hewn logs that were seated on a horizontal log sill and the spaces between the logs were filled with pierrotage chinking of mortar and rubble. The original building measures 20 x 35 ft and consisted of two rooms separated by a receiving hall and a one room or half basement with a separate rear entrance. The larger first floor room was the parlor, or salle, and was a multi-purpose living area. The smaller first floor room was the sleeping room, or chambre, and was a more private area. Limestone fireplaces were located at each end of the house including one in the half basement. There is a large attic which runs the entire length of the house. The house contained a stone cooking fireplace situated in a half basement, or souterrain, a rarity among similar structures that may reflect the prosperity of the owners. The basement likely functioned as a work space and living quarters as well. The original house is approximately 80% intact. A common feature of Creole architecture are the broad open porches, known as galeries, located on the front and back of the house. The galeries offered additional living space in fair weather as well as to keep the sun and rain off the whitewashed walls. At the end of the 18th century, the majority of European settlement in the middle Mississippi River Valley was confined to a sixty-mile strip between Cahokia and Kaskaskia (the Ste. Genevieve area). This fertile river bottomland, now known as the American Bottom, was the breadbasket for the Louisiana Territory. The principal crop grown was wheat but other commodities included corn, pumpkins, oats, barley, flax, cotton, and tobacco. Farmers in Pierre Martin's era would use a common field called the le grand champ. Martin would cultivate and harvest his crops with the help of his family, his one or two slaves, and hired day laborers. Once harvested, Martin would have transported his crops south to Kaskaskia where it would then be shipped to New Orleans. In 1806, Pierre Martin put up the two lots with a house and barn in Prairie du Pont and two common field tracts as collateral for a loan to Jean Francois Perrey. In the same year, his wife died, and his death at age 62 followed the next year. With Martin's debt unpaid, the probates indicate that Perrey was compensated out of the estate sale. The barn and lot were sold for $13. 00 and the house - described as "avec souterraint" (finished basement) - was sold for $96.00 to Baptiste Gendron. Throughout the early 19th century, several owners are indicated and during the late 19th century into the early 20th century it was owned by members of the Boismenue family. The Boismenue family of French Canadian descent appear in the records at Cahokia in the 18th century. It was not until 1980, when the Martin/Boismenue House was destined for demolition, that it became evident that the building was of vertical log construction. When workmen began to strip off the modern siding from the front of the structure, the distinctive vertical log timbers of the original building were exposed (Figure 5). Within 24 hours, a local group of citizens was organized with the intention of saving the structure for its historical significance.

Loved visiting the park. The security lines were always quick and easy and the staff was super…read morefriendly. Went to the Arch and had time for a boat ride close by. They don't let you bring soda up the Arch but bottled water is okay. Arch tram was amazing and views as well. It can be a bit cramped so if your claustrophobic or just don't like tight spaces the tram ride up may not be for you. All in all a great experience to enjoy with everyone

We had a great visit to the new museum at the arch and ride up the arch elevators to the top. My…read moredaughter earned her junior rangers badge for the monument and enjoyed her first ride to the top. A St Louisans rite of passage. I'm glad the arch is still alive and well. It's been decades since I've been up. It's a nice view and reminder of my youth.

The Friedrich Ludwig Jahn Monument is located in Forest Park on a trail that's tucked between Art…read moreHill and the World's Fair Pavilion. It's probably one of the least visited places in the park and really isn't worth trying to find unless you're just wandering around the park. I'd never heard of the guy, but I often ride my bike past this monument and had always wondered what it was for. Finally, I stopped one day and took some photos so I could research it later. So it turns out that Friedrich lived from 1778 to 1852. He was from Germany and was a gymnastics educator. Apparently, he is known as the "father of gymnastics", and created early versions of the balance beam, parallel bars and horizontal bars. It also sounds like this guy has some controversy over his political views. It said that in 1810, as a nationalist, he advocated Germany's maintaining of its own language and culture against foreign influence. About 100 years later in 1941, Peter Viereck wrote a book about the "Roots of the Nazi Mind" and called Friedrich "the spiritual founder of Nazism". However others point out that his calls for nationalism were during a different time when Germany was occupied by foreign armies under Napoleon. I can't find any connection between St. Louis and Friedrich Ludwig Jahn. It looks like the memorial was dedicated by the American Turners which is an organization that "encouraging people of all ages to be mentally and physically active". This group has German roots and was perhaps popular with St. Louis' large immigrant population. The monument was dedicated in 1913 and rededicated in 1972. Ok, so I've spent way too much time on this review! Whatever the history of this guy, I like the area around the monument and the way it's kind of hidden on the side of a hill overlooking the lazy river. It's a good area to relax, watch the paddle boats putter by, and perhaps take in a little bit of history.

Pretty small town. The type you find with the sole Dairy Queen right smack in the middle of…read morethings. Most of the kids who attend the schools are from Scott so you have a lot of diversity in classes. Natives are usually friendly but sometimes you get a little bit of the standoffish feel when they know you're not from there. I think I'd be mad too if I only had one Dairy Queen in town.

I've lived in Mascoutah for a very long time and I love the small town feel it offers. If you want…read morechaos, move to Fairview Heights! You can't beat the parades, park events, and closeness the community offers.

Beware!!! Google maps will take you to the wrong location! I'm on your side Apple Maps, you never…read moredo me wrong! From the Vandalia State House, take 185/40 (N. Kennedy Blvd) north, turn left/west on W. Randolph Street, then right/north on N. Perkin's Street one block to W. St Clair Street. Turn left and it's up on the little hill on your right/north side. I absolutely love state capitals, which would lead me to enjoy past state capitals. I had been in rural Illinois a few times and always wondered what Vandalia had to offer being that it was second Illinois Capitol City (an oldest one still existing, unlike Kaskaskia which is now under water). I followed Vandalia's tourist page to the few landmarks that existed. One was what is called "Little Brick House". It's an n example of simple Italianate architecture that has been preserved by the Vandalia Historical Society. It is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and is thought to have been constructed in the mid 1800's. According to the website, "Josephine Burtschi, local artist and historian, was born in this house. In 1956 she purchased the house and started restoring it to its original appearance. Over the years, the Little Brick House has been renovated and furnished with period pieces, antiques, and early Vandalia artifacts. Contained within the six rooms are furniture, china, engravings and books acquired from descendants of state officers, legislators and the Ferdinand Ernst Colony who lived in Vandalia when it served as capital. The library, called the Berry-Hall room, pays tribute to James William Berry, the first talented artist of Illinois, and to Judge James Hall who established Vandalia as the first literary center west of Cincinnati. (http://www.vandaliaillinois.com/littlebrickhouse.html)" There's a little history for ya!

Awesome train display. Several trains running at once, one with 48 coal cars! Great for photos…read morewith lots of buildings, trees snd wildlife all over. One very large bridge with thousands of tiny rivets, intricate detail. If you visit, bring some cash to donate.

This club has been around for decades. They teach and pass down the hobby of model railroading the…read morehundreds of folks each month during their open house on first Tuesday of month, 7-8:30. The operate in donated funds. Long bridges great scenery.

Part of Governor Bates trail. 2nd Governor of Missouri…read more I did about 3 miles on beautiful, hilly and well marked trails.

In all my years of living in St. Louis and the many times that I have visited Faust Park, i never…read morerealized that this historic homestead existed. As a lover of history this place is magnificent. Thornhill Historic Site is the farm of Missouri's second governor, Frederick Bates. This site is at Faust Park and includes the home, barn, summer kitchen, ice and smoke house, orchard and herb garden and family cemetery. It is the oldest standing governor's residence in Missouri. http://www.stlouisco.com/ParksandRecreation/ParkPages/Faust/Thornhill

The Grand Viaduct in Saint Louis is one of those pieces of city infrastructure that lives invisibly…read moreunder the radar and yet it feels like it has lived several lives. If you spend time around Grand Boulevard, you can feel the history in the way the roadway stretches out over the rail yards, giving a long elevated sweep of skyline, train lines and old industrial bones all at ones. It is the kind of bridge you cross without thinking when you walk or drive it and then suddenly you notice that it is doing a lot more than just getting cars from one side of Midtown to the other. The original Grand Viaduct was built in the early 1900s to solve a very Saint Louis problem. What was then the city's main north-south corridor had to cross a dense and busy rail district. The only way to keep traffic moving was to lift the street up and over the tracks. That early structure served for decades, but by the early 2000s it was functionally obsolete, structurally deteriorated and too narrow for modern traffic. The current viaduct was essentially a full replacement that was completed in 2012. It was designed to modernize the corridor, improve pedestrian access and create a safer and wider crossing that could handle both the vehicle flow and the foot traffic between Saint Louis University, Midtown and the surrounding neighborhoods. Architecturally, the new Grand Viaduct is a contemporary concrete and steel structure with clean lines, side sidewalks and modern lighting. It has an open and airy feel that emphasizes function over ornament, but it still has a sense of presence due to the long span, the elevated vantage point and the way it frames the Lou around it. I walked from the Grand Metrolink station to the nearby Target and back, so I got to experience it as a pedestrian. It felt like the pedestrian section was intentionally designed rather than just tacked on. It has barriers, lighting and clear sightlines that made it comfortable to walk even though it was over a very active rail corridor and next to an active roadway. The Grand Viaduct is worth a slow walk. It's not flashy. Instead, it is one of those pieces of infrastructure that quietly holds the city's rhythm together. [Review 403 of 2026 - 501 in Missouri - 25586 overall]