St. Louis' Potter's Field

I finally found the information on the Potter’s Field in St. Louis. Here are a few paper clippings that I was able to retrieve from the library on the matter. Here is a “Letters from Our Readers” that was in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (1996) asking about Potter’s Field. 

Figure 1 ^[5]

This is the picture I really wanted to show you this week. This is a picture of Potter's Field that shows off in the distance the City Hospital and the City Poor House. This shows that they were indeed in very close proximity to one another.

Figure 2 ^[6]

Here are a few excerpts from an Encyclopedia of the History of St. Louis (1899) regarding the Potter’s Field.

“Potter’s Field is on the city and county farm, on Arsenal Street and Sublette Avenue, is used as a burial place for poor and friendless persons” (Hyde & Conard, p. 340).

“The rapid growth of the city and the successive removal of burials grounds which made it necessary convinced thoughtful people that some permanent provision ought to be made for the repose of the dead” (Hyde & Conard, p. 337). 

This except is from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (1950) about Potter's Field being closed and used for building lots. 

“In fact, history is merely repeating itself, as a study of the old laws by Charles Dolan, Associate City Counselor, discloses that several times in the past city-owned cemeteries have been turned into building lots and sold, after the bodies were removed, of course” (Klein, p. 1C).

But were the bodies really moved??? It is at the city's expense to relocate the bodies. It does not take a degree in mathematics to know that leaving the bodies in place will be a huge cost savings. While I am not accusing the city of leaving anyone in Potter's Field, there is some evidence that the city cemetery in Benton Park was not completely relocated prior to construction. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Theodore Roosevelt High School was built were another city cemetery used to be located. I was not able to find information regarding this cemetery at the library other than an old city map that shows its location near the intersection of Arsenal Avenue and Jefferson Avenue. I have a picture of the map here; C13 is the City Cemetery (Benton Park) is the one that is where Theodore Roosevelt High School is now located. C15 is the City Cemetery at the intersection of Arsenal Avenue and Hampton Avenue is where Potter’s Field used to be also known as City Cemetery (Sublette).

Figure 3^[7]

This is a little bit of information that I was able to find regarding Theodore Roosevelt High School. “To relieve overcrowding at McKinley High School and Cleveland High School, the city's south side high schools for whites, the St. Louis Public Schools ordered the acquisition of property to construct a "New Southside High School" in 1922.^[1][2][3] Due to a lack of vacant land in the area, the Picker Cemetery (also known as Holy Ghost Cemetery) was acquired for the school's site, and evacuation of its graves began in October 1922.^[1] Most graves were relocated to mass graves in other cemeteries, although some remains were not relocated.^[4] During construction, neighbors reported dogs and children bringing home bones from the site, and workers reported finding jewelry and coffin handles while constructing the building.^[3] The building's cornerstone was laid on April 22, 1923, and the building was designed by R.M. Milligan at a cost of slightly less than $1.5 million.^[1]” (Wikipedia)

 

Reference:

^[1]Bosenbecker, Ray (2004). So, Where'd You Go to High School?. Virginia Publishing. p. 112. Retrieved December 24, 2011.

^[2]Dillon, Dan (2005). So, Where'd You Go to High School? The Baby Boomer Edition. St. Louis: Virginia Publishing. p. 128. ISBN 1-891442-33-3. Retrieved December 24, 2011.

^[3]Dillon, Dan (2005). So, Where'd You Go to High School? The Baby Boomer Edition. St. Louis: Virginia Publishing. pp. 174–175. ISBN 1-891442-33-3. Retrieved December 24, 2011.

^[4]Edward C. Wicklein (July 14, 2011). "Letters from Our Readers". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

^[5] (1996, September 15). "Letters from Our Readers". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

^[6] Everett, Richard. (1944, Feburary 17). Cross Of Christ Lies In Mud: Potter's Field Neglected, Desolate. St. Louis Star-Times.

^[7]Saint Louis County Planning Geographic Information Systems (March 2007). 

Klein, Francis A. (1950, April 15 ). History's Repeating Itself at Potter's Field. St. Louis Globe-Democrat, pp. 1C.

Hyde, William and Conard, Howard L. (Eds.). (1899). Encylopedia of the History of St. Louis: A Compendium of History and Biography For Ready Reference (Vol. I.). New York, NY: The Southern History Company.