SOURCES, RESOURCES AND METHODS OF RESEARCHING

LOUIS SCHMIDT

THE RESOURCES USED IN COMPILING A HOUSE HISTORY ARE MANY. THE PRINCIPAL ORGANIZATIONAL RESOURCES ARE THE FOLLOWING:

• CITY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
  • CITY HALL, TUCKER AND CLARK, ST.LOUIS. HOURS ARE 9:00 AM TO 5:00 PM MONDAY THRU FRIDAY.
  • OFFICE OF THE ASSESSOR, ROOM 114, CITY HALL. THE ASSESSOR'S RECORDS ARE THE FIRST ORDER RESOURCE IN DOING A HOUSE HISTORY. THEY DOCUMENT REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS SEQUENTIALLY IN A SERIES OF RECORD VOLUMES, SOME MICROFILMED. THE INFORMATION FOR EACH TRANSACTION INCLUDES DATE OF DEED, NAMES OF SELLER AND PURCHASER, REFERENCE TO THE IMMEDIATE PRIOR TRANSACTION, AND, MOST IMPORTANT, A REFERENCE TO A VOLUME AND PAGE NUMBER IN THE RECORDER'S OFFICE WHERE THE ENTIRE WRITTEN DEED IS FILED.
  • OFFICE OF THE RECORDER OF DEEDS, ROOM 126-28. THIS OFFICE IS THE REPOSITORY FOR THREE IMPORTANT TYPES OF RECORD--PLAT MAPS, SURVEY MAPS, AND DEED INSTRUMENTS. THE PLAT MAPS ARE INDEXED BY CITY BLOCK NUMBER AND ARE ORIGINALS, BOUND IN LARGE VOLUMES. THEY COVER THE CITY FROM THE EARLY 19TH CENTURY. THE SURVEY MAPS ARE ALSO ORIGINALS AND GO BACK TO THE 18TH CENTURY. THEY ARE NOT WELL INDEXED, BUT A HAND SEARCH IS AN INTERESTING EXERCISE. THE DEED BOOKS ARE BOUND ORIGINAL HANDWRITTEN DEEDS, AND DATE FROM THE 1820'S FORWARD.
  • MICROFILM ROOM, ROOM 1, CITY HALL. THIS IS THE REPOSITORY FOR A WIDE RANGE OF CITY RECORDS ON MICROFILM. THESE INCLUDE BUILDING PERMITS, MAPS, TAX RECORDS, ASSESSMENT RECORDS, PERSONAL RECORDS, AND MANY OTHER RECORDS OF POTENTIAL INTEREST. KNOWING A BLOCK NUMBER IS ESSENTIAL TO ACCESS.
  • MARRIAGE LICENSE BUREAU, ROOM 129. MAINTAINS COMPLETE RECORDS OF MARRIAGES BACK TO LATE 18TH CENTURY. VOLUMES ARE INDEXED BY MAN'S NAME AND WOMAN'S NAME. EARLY RECORDS ARE HAND WRITTEN AND PROVIDE INFORMATION ON DATE, OFFICIAL WHO PERFORMED CEREMONY, AND SO FORTH.
  • OFFICE OF THE REGISTER, ROOM 118, CITY HALL. THIS IS THE REPOSITORY FOR FULL TEXTS OF CITY ORDINANCES, WHERE RECORDS OF ALLEY CLOSINGS, STREET NAMING AND NUMBERING, AND SUBDIVISIONS CAN BE FOUND. OLDER RECORDS MAY BE IN THE MICROFILM ROOM.
• ST.LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY, 1301 OLIVE STREET, HOURS 10AM-6PM TUESDAY THRU FRIDAY; 9AM - 5 PM SATURDAY; 10AM-9PM MONDAY.
  • HISTORY AND GENEALOGY COLLECTION, MAIN FLOOR EAST. THIS DEPARTMENT HAS AN EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF MATERIALS OF INTEREST TO THE HOUSE HISTORIAN. PARTICULARLY USEFUL IS THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF CITY DIRECTORIES AVAILABLE IN THE AREA DATING BACK TO THE 1840'S, AND SHOWING RESIDENCE AND BUSINESS ADDRESSES BY LAST NAME ALPHABETICALLY (EARLY VOLUMES) AND OCCUPANTS BY STREET ADDRESS BEGINNING IN THE LATE 1890'S. THERE IS A LARGE COLLECTION OF HISTORICAL MAPS, OLD CENSUS RECORDS FROM ALL STATES, AND GENERAL REFERENCES ON ST.LOUIS HISTORY. AN INDEXED DOCUMENT COLLECTION IS AVAILABLE.
  • ART AND AUDIOVISUAL COLLECTION, MAIN FLOOR, WEST. THIS DEPARTMENT MAINTAINS A LARGE COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS DEPICTING ST.LOUIS, ARRANGED BY CATEGORY BUT NOT CATALOGED. THEY ALSO MAINTAIN A COLLECTION OF ATLASES AND BOOKS CONCERNING ARCHITECTURE AND ART IN THE CITY.
  • MICROFILM ROOM, GROUND FLOOR, WEST. THE MICROFILM COLLECTION IS AN INVALUABLE RESOURCE. THE CENSUS RECORDS FOR MISSOURI (AND SEVERAL STATES) ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE 19TH CENTURY THRU THE 1910 CENSUS, AND ARE INDEXED TO LAST NAMES VIA THE SOUNDEX SYSTEM. THERE IS A VERY COMPLETE COLLECTION OF ST.LOUIS NEWSPAPERS. OTHER USEFUL MICRORECORDS HOUSED HERE INCLUDE CITY DIRECTORIES, CIVIL WAR MILITARY RECORDS, AND IMMIGRATION RECORDS.
• MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 225 SOUTH SKINKER BOULEVARD, ST.LOUIS LIBRARY. THE MHS MAINTAINS SEVERAL EXCELLENT CATALOGED BOOK AND DOCUMENT COLLECTIONS. THE MAJOR ELEMENTS USEFUL TO THE HOUSE HISTORIAN ARE GENERAL CATALOG; AND A CATALOG OF MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION ON PERSONS AND PLACES GLEANED FROM LETTERS, CLIPPINGS, SCRAPBOOKS AND SO FORTH. ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS OF ALL KINDS ARE AVAILABLE, AS ARE COLLECTIONS OF PAPERS OF PROMINENT INDIVIDUALS. THE CATALOGED MAP COLLECTION IS ALSO COMPLETE AND EXCELLENT.
  PHOTO ARCHIVE. THIS RESOURCE IS AVAILABLE ON AN APPOINTMENT ONLY BASIS. THE SOCIETY MAINTAINS A VERY LARGE CATALOG COLLECTION OF PHOTOS COVERING EVERY ASPECT OF HISTORY OF ST.LOUIS--STREET SCENES, INDIVIDUALS, MAJOR EVENTS.
• ST.LOUIS COUNTY MAIN LIBRARY, 1640 SOUTH LINDBERGH, FRONTENAC. THE COUNTY LIBRARY HOLDS A NUMBER OF VOLUMES ON LOCAL HISTORY WHICH ARE IN GOOD CONDITION AND EASILY ACCESSIBLE IN THE REFERENCE SECTION. IT ALSO HAS A FULL SET OF MISSOURI CENSUS DATA ON MICROFILM AS WELL AS CITY DIRECTORIES ON MICROFILM.

THE PROCESS

• HOW TO START: THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE. THE RESEARCH PROCESS CAN START WITH ONE PIECE OF INFORMATION, THE ADDRESS OF THE PROPERTY. THE MORE INFORMATION ONE HAS --NAMES, DATES, AND SO FORTH-- THE BETTER. ARMED WITH THE ADDRESS, ONE FOLLOWS A LOGICAL PROCESS OF SEARCHING WHICH CAN LEAD TO MANY INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE PROPERTY AND THOSE WHO OWNED IT OVER THE PAST TWO CENTURIES. THE STARTING POINT, GIVEN AN ADDRESS, IS THE CITY ASSESSOR'S REAL ESTATE OFFICE. THE REAL ESTATE OFFICE MAINTAINS RECORDS OF REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS FOR TAX PURPOSES. THESE ARE PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN BOUND VOLUMES OR ON MICROFILM AT THE MAIN OFFICE.
  1. YOU WILL NEED TO START BY IDENTIFYING THE BLOCK NUMBER IN WHICH THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED. THERE IS A BOUND DIRECTORY OF STREETS AND NUMBERS WHICH WILL GIVE YOU THE CITY BLOCK NUMBER. THIS NUMBER IS KEY TO ALL PROPERTY-RELATED ASPECTS OF YOUR SEARCH.
  2. ONCE THE BLOCK NUMBER IS KNOWN, REFER TO THE BOUND VOLUME OF PLAT MAPS ARRANGED BY CITY BLOCK NUMBER. THIS VOLUME CONSTITUTES THE CURRENT TRANSACTION RECORD. THE NAME OF THE CURRENT OWNER AND THE VOLUME AND PAGE NUMBER OF THE ABSTRACT OF TITLE ARE WRITTEN DIRECTLY ON THIS MAP. THE VOLUME AND PAGE CITED WILL CONTAIN A RECORD OF THE MOST RECENT TRANSFER OF THE PROPERTY, GIVING DATA ON THE SELLER AND BUYER, DATES OF SALE AND FILING, AND ANY SPECIAL CONDITIONS RELATED TO THE SALE. IT WILL ALSO CONTAIN A HAND WRITTEN NUMBER INDICATING THE VOLUME AND PAGE WHERE THE IMMEDIATE PRIOR TRANSACTION IS FILED. BEGIN KEEPING TRACK OF THE INFORMATION NOW; IT WILL SAVE TIME LATER.
• THE CRITICAL ELEMENTS FOR THE HOUSE HISTORIAN SEARCHING FOR INFORMATION ON A SPECIFIC DWELLING ARE:
  1. THE (a) VOLUME AND (b) PAGE NUMBER. THIS IS THE IDENTIFIER WHICH HELPS YOU LOCATE THE PRIOR TRANSACTION FOR ANY PIECE OF PROPERTY. IT APPEARS IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER OF EACH PAGE. VOLUMES ARE SINGLE BINDERS ARRANGED BY NUMBER. EACH PAGE IS NUMBERED. THERE MAY BE SEVERAL ENTRIES ON A GIVEN PAGE.
  2. THE CITY BLOCK NUMBER. THIS NUMBER ALLOWS YOU TO IDENTIFY TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING THE PROPERTY. SINCE IT IS UNUSUAL TO HAVE MULTIPLE TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING A SINGLE BLOCK ON A SINGLE PAGE, THIS SAVES READING THE LEGAL DESCRIPTION EACH TIME THE PROPERTY WAS TRANSFERRED.
  3. SELLER AND BUYER. SINCE YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE OWNED THE HOUSE, THIS IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
  4. PRIOR TRANSACTION
     1. THIS HAND WRITTEN NUMBER DIRECTS YOU TO IMMEDIATE PRIOR TRANSACTION BY VOLUME AND PAGE. IT IS CRITICAL TO CREATING A COMPLETE HISTORY.
     2. A FORM IS PROVIDED IN THE APPENDIX FOR USE IN RECORDING THE CRITICAL ELEMENTS FROM THE ASSESSORS RECORD.
     3. THE PRIOR TRANSACTIONS ARE BOUND IN NUMBERED VOLUMES KEPT IN THE CENTRAL ISLAND IN THE ROOM. FIND YOUR REFERENCE VOLUME AND PAGE, LOCATE YOUR BLOCK NUMBER, AND YOU SHOULD SEE THE PRIOR TRANSACTION CONVEYING THE PROPERTY TO THE LAST OWNER. THERE WILL ALSO BE A VOLUME AND PAGE NUMBER FOR THE TRANSACTION PROCEEDING THAT ONE. YOU SIMPLY FOLLOW THIS TRAIL OF TRANSACTION BACK THROUGH THE RECORDS.
     4. YOUR GOAL IS TO REACH THE EARLIEST TRANSACTION, USUALLY A SALE FROM THE CITY OR A SUBDIVISION OF PROPERTY. AS YOU MOVE BACK THROUGH THE RECORDS, YOU WILL MOVE FROM THE BOUND VOLUMES ONTO MICROFICHE RECORDS, BUT THE PROCESS IS THE SAME. IF YOU ARE LUCKY, YOU CAN CONSTRUCT A COMPLETE HISTORY WITHOUT LEAVING THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE.
     5. YOU PROBABLY WON'T BE LUCKY-- THE OLD RECORDS ON MICROFICHE BECOME HARDER AND HARDER TO READ, AND SOMETIMES THE REFERENCE NUMBERS ARE OMITTED. THEY HAVE AN ADVANTAGE OVER THE LATER RECORDS IN THAT THEY INCLUDE A VOLUME AND PAGE REFERENCE TO THE DEED SUPPORTING THE TRANSACTION. THE FADING RECORDS ARE NOT A DEAD END--THEY ONLY COMPLICATE YOUR SEARCH, AND MOVE YOU TO THE RECORDER OF DEEDS OFFICE SOONER.
     6. IF YOU HIT A DEAD END, YOU CAN, ARMED WITH YOUR RECORD OF TRANSECTIONS PICK UP THE TRAIL AT THE RECORDERS OFFICE. AT THIS POINT, YOU ARE INTERESTED IN REESTABLISHING THE TRAIL OF OWNERSHIP IF POSSIBLE. THE VEHICLE FOR THIS IS THE DEED BOOK, A BOUND VOLUME CONTAINING THE ACTUAL DEEDS FOR ALL PROPERTY TRANSFERS KEPT IN THE BASEMENT OF ROOM 127 CITY HALL AND ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC. THESE BOOKS ARE INDEXED BY YEAR AND NAME OF GRANTOR (SELLER) AND GRANTEE (BUYER). THE "DIRECT" INDEX IS ALPHABETICAL BY SELLERS; THE INVERTED" INDEX BY BUYERS. THERE ARE THREE COURSES OF ACTION AVAILABLE:
        1. SINCE YOU KNOW THE NAMES AND YEAR OF YOUR LAST KNOWN TRANSACTION, YOU CAN USE THE INDEX TO IDENTIFY THE VOLUME AND PAGE OF THE DEED BOOK IN WHICH THE DEED IS BOUND AND EXAMINE THE DEED. OCCASIONALLY, THERE IS A REFERENCE NUMBER TO THE PRIOR TRANSACTION. IF SO, YOUR TRAIL IS REESTABLISHED,AND YOU CAN EITHER RETURN TO THE ASSESSOR'S RECORDS OR FINISH YOUR SEARCH VIA THE DEEDS BOOKS.
        2. IF THERE IS NO REFERENCE IN THE DEED FOR THE LAST TRANSFER YOU KNOW ABOUT, THE NEXT STEP IS TO CHECK TWO CATALOGS IN THE BASEMENT AREA. ONE IS AN INDEX CARD CATALOG WHICH LISTS SELLERS AND BUYER BY LAST NAME (YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION FOR THE LAST KNOWN TRANSACTION) AND THE NAME OF THE SELLER IN THAT TRANSACTION MAY LEAD YOU TO THE NAME OF THE PRIOR SELLER. THIS CATALOG IS INCOMPLETE, AND IS NOT REFERENCED TO A VOLUME, BUT IS A TIME SAVER IF YOU HAVE TO APPROACH "C" BELOW. THE SECOND POSSIBILITY, PARTICULARLY IF YOU GET BACK INTO THE LATE 19TH CENTURY BEFORE BEING BLOCKED, IS COLLETT'S INDEX, SEVERAL BOUND VOLUMES OF SELLER'S AND BUYER'S NAMES WHICH DOES PROVIDE A REFERENCE TO THE DEED BOOK IN WHICH THE TRANSACTION IS RECORDED.
        3. IF NEITHER THE CARD CATALOG OR COLLETT'S HELPS, THE BRUTE FORCE METHOD MUST BE FOLLOWED. THERE IS AN INDEX TO THE DEED BOOKS BY YEAR AND LAST NAME OF BUYERS AND SELLERS. THESE ARE HAND WRITTEN BOUND VOLUMES KEPT IN A SIDE ROOM.(A MICROFILM INDEX FOR TRANSACTIONS BEFORE 1900 IS AVAILABLE IN ROOM 128.) TO FIND SPECIFIC TRANSACTIONS, ONE MUST SEARCH FOR THE NAMES, WHICH ARE ALPHABETIZED, BUT IN SECTIONS RATHER THAN ACROSS A WHOLE VOLUME. YOU MUST LITERALLY GO PAGE BY PAGE AT THIS POINT LOOKING FOR THE NAME. FURTHER, SOME INDIVIDUALS IN THAT ERA ENTERED MANY TRANSACTIONS, SO YOU MAY HAVE TO REVIEW A NUMBER OF DEEDS TO FIND THE ONE CONVEYING THE PROPERTY IN WHICH YOU HAVE AN INTEREST. THIS IS A TIME-CONSUMING EXERCISE, BUT IT IS ALSO AN INTERESTING ONE, AS YOU COME TO RECOGNIZE THE REAL ESTATE "WHEELERS AND DEALERS" OF THE DAY BY VOLUME OF ACTIVITY DOCUMENTED IN THESE INDEX BOOKS. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO COMPLETE YOUR RECORD IF YOU PERSIST. THE INFORMATION IS THERE--SOMEWHERE.

  ADDING DETAILS: THE RECORDERS OFFICE.

  THE NEXT STOP IS THE RECORDER'S OFFICE (IF YOU ARE NOT THERE ALREADY BECAUSE OF A DEAD END AT THE ASSESSOR'S.) YOUR GOAL HERE IS TO REVIEW THE DEEDS INVOLVED IN THE HISTORY OF THE PROPERTY. RECENT DEEDS ARE BORING PRINTED INSTRUMENTS,, AND HOLD LITTLE INTEREST. THE DEEDS BEFORE 1940 OR SO ARE HAND-WRITTEN AND ARE OF MORE INTEREST. THEY ARE LENGTHY, WITH COMPLETE LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS, DISCUSSIONS OF THE FINANCING OF THE TRANSACTION, RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS, AND SO FORTH, AND ARE SIGNED BY THE OWNERS. READING THE DEEDS, PARTICULARLY THE EARLY ONES, IS A WORTHWHILE USE OF TIME. IF YOU WANT COPIES OF THE INSTRUMENTS, THE MICROFILM DEPARTMENT IN ROOM1 HAS THEM ON FILM AND WILL MAKE COPIES. YOU WILL NEED THE VOLUME AND PAGE NUMBER FOR EACH ONE YOU WANT IN HARD COPY.

  THE RECORDERS OFFICE IS ALSO THE PLACE TO EXAMINE MAPS AND PLATS OF THE AREA OF INTEREST. IN ROOM 128, THE ORIGINAL PLAT BOOKS ARE KEPT, AS ARE SURVEYOR'S RECORDS (SKETCH MAPS). THESE ARE INDEXED BOTH BY SUBDIVISION AND BY CITY BLOCK NUMBER IN A SET OF LOOSE LEAF BINDERS MAINTAINED IN THE OFFICE. THE INFORMATION WHICH CAN BE GLEANED HERE INCLUDES THE ORIGINAL DIMENSIONS OF THE PROPERTY, OLD STREET NAMES, BUILDINGS IN PLACE AT THE TIME IT WAS DEVELOPED AND SO ON. CAREFUL STUDY OF THE PLAT AND SURVEY MAPS SHOULD PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE EARLIEST OWNERS (SUBDIVISION DEVELOPERS) AND THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE PROPERTY TO OLD FRENCH AND SPANISH LAND GRANTS. HOWEVER, THIS MAY REQUIRE ADDITIONAL RESEARCH (SEE "EMBELLISHMENTS" BELOW).

  LEARNING ABOUT THE HOUSE

  HAVING ESTABLISHED THE THREAD OF OWNERSHIP, THE NEXT STEP IS TO FIND OUT WHAT YOU CAN ABOUT THE BUILDINGS ON THE PROPERTY. THIS IS A DIFFICULT AREA. BUILDING PERMIT RECORDS ARE KEPT IN THE MICROFILM ROOM IN CITY HALL. ARRANGED BY BLOCK NUMBER, THE INDEX OF PERMITS GOES BACK TO ABOUT 1870, BUT THERE ARE GAPS. KNOWING THE NAME OF THE EARLY OWNERS AND THE BLOCK NUMBER EQUIPS YOU TO APPROXIMATE THE DATE OF CONSTRUCTION FROM THE DATE OF THE BUILDING PERMIT RECORD. YOU CAN ALSO EXAMINE TWO OTHER SETS OF RECORDS MAINTAINED BY BLOCK NUMBER ON MICROFILM--FIRE MAPS DATING FROM THE 1870'S, WHICH SHOW ALL BUILDINGS, THE NUMBER OF STORIES, AND THE LOCATION OF STAIRS; AND A HOUSE BY HOUSE ASSEMENT SURVEY DONE IN THE 1930'S WHICH INCLUDES A CONSTRUCTION DATE AMONG OTHER DETAILS OF CONSTRUCTION FOR EACH BUILDING. THIS SURVEY IS VERY INACCURATE IN DATES, HOWEVER, AND THE BUILDING PERMITS ARE BETTER GUIDES.

  LEARNING ABOUT THE PEOPLE

  YOU NOW SHOULD HAVE A FAIRLY COMPLETE RECORD OF THE OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY. THE DEEDS DON'T TELL YOU ANYTHING ABOUT THE OWNERS' OCCUPATION, BACKGROUNDS, OR ABOUT ACTUAL OCCUPANTS OF THE HOUSE. THE NEXT STEP IS TO BEGIN TO FIND OUT ABOUT THEM. YOUR SEARCH NOW MOVES TO THE CENSUS RECORDS AND CITY DIRECTORIES.

  • CENSUS RECORDS THE DECENNIAL CENSUS RECORDS FOR ST.LOUIS ARE AVAILABLE ON MICROFILM IN BOTH THE ST.LOUIS AND ST.LOUIS COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES. THESE CONSIST OF PHOTOS OF THE ORIGINAL PAGES OF THE CENSUS BOOKS IN THE ENUMERATOR'S HANDWRITING.THE RECORDS ARE COMPLETE FOR CENSUSES THRU 1910--THE 1920 COMPLETE RECORD IS DUE OUT IN 1991. THERE ARE TWO APPROACHES TO FINDING THE RECORDS WHICH RELATE TO YOUR PROPERTY. THE FIRST IS TO USE THE SOUNDEX CATALOG WHICH WILL ALLOW YOU TO FIND INDIVIDUALS WHOSE NAMES ARE KNOWN. INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE OF THE SOUNDEX CATALOG ARE AVAILABLE IN THE MICROFILM DEPARTMENTS OF BOTH LIBRARIES. SUCCESS IN LOCATING YOUR RESIDENT WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH A REFERENCE TO A SPECIFIC PAGE IN THE CENSUS RECORD ITSELF. THE SECOND IS THE "BRUTE FORCE" METHOD. YOU DETERMINE THE WARD IN WHICH THE PROPERTY OF INTEREST WAS LOCATED IN THE CENSUS YEAR, AND THEN SKIM THE RECORDS FOR THAT WARD LOOKING FOR THE ENTRY FOR THE STREET AND ADDRESS OF THE PROPERTY. THIS APPROACH IS MORE DIFFICULT, SINCE THE CENSUS ENUMERATORS DID NOT NECESSARILY DO THE HOUSES IN ORDER. THE CENSUS RECORDS PROVIDE A GREAT DEAL OF INFORMATION CONCERNING RESIDENTS OF THE HOUSE. ALL RESIDENTS SHOULD BE LISTED, ALONG WITH AGE AT THE TIME, OCCUPATION, PLACE OF BIRTH, AND FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS. DEPENDING ON THE CENSUS, INFORMATION ON CITIZENSHIP,ABILITY TO WRITE, AND CLAIMED NET WORTH MAY BE INCLUDED.
  • CITY DIRECTORIES

  THE CENSUS RECORDS ARE THE BEST SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON WHO WAS LIVING IN THE HOUSE IN A CENSUS YEAR. UNLESS THE OCCUPANCY WAS VERY STABLE OVER TIME, ONE MAY WANT MORE INFORMATION ON OCCUPANCY, AND THE ANNUAL CITY DIRECTORIES PROVIDE THIS AT VARYING LEVELS OF ACCURACY AND DETAIL. IN THE 19TH CENTURY, THESE DIRECTORIES LISTED RESIDENTS OF THE CITY ALPHABETICALLY BY LAST NAME, AND WERE ORIENTED TO THE MALES WHO WERE EMPLOYED OR OPERATING BUSINESSES. THE LISTING USUALLY INCLUDED AN OCCUPATION, A WORK ADDRESS, AND A RESIDENCE ADDRESS, AND GIVING THE NAMES OF THOSE RESIDENT IN THE DWELLING. THIS INFORMATION, THOUGH MINIMAL, WILL HELP BUILD AN OCCUPANCY HISTORY FOR A HOUSE. IT ALSO PROVIDES LEADS AS TO WHETHER THE BUILDING WAS A SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING OR DIVIDED INTO ROOMS OR APARTMENTS AT A GIVEN TIME. ONCE A COMPLETE RECORD OF THE OCCUPANTS' NAMES IS ESTABLISHED, THERE ARE SEVERAL COURSES ONE MAY FOLLOW IF MORE INFORMATION CONCERNING INDIVIDUALS IS DESIRED. AMONG THE RESOURCES FOR FILLING OUT A HISTORY OF THE RESIDENTS ARE THE FOLLOWING:

  • BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPEDIAS: THERE WERE SEVERAL OF THESE PUBLISHED IN ST.LOUIS AROUND THE TURN OF THE CENTURY. THEY PROFILE PROMINENT INDIVIDUALS, AND SOMETIMES INCLUDE PICTURES. EXAMPLES INCLUDE HYDE AND CONARD AND SCHAARF.
  • SCRAPBOOK AND CLIPPINGS INDEX: THE MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY HAS A CATALOG ARRANGED BY NAME WHICH SUPPORTS ACCESS TO A LARGE COLLECTION OF UNPUBLISHED BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL.
  • ARCHIVES: THE SOCIETY AND THE PUBLIC LIBRARY ALSO HAVE EXTENSIVE CATALOGED ARCHIVES OF DOCUMENTS AND COLLECTED PAPERS WHICH MAY INCLUDE MATERIALS RELATED TO ONE OR MORE OCCUPANTS OF THE PROPERTY. THESE ARE INDEXED BY LAST NAME.
  • EMBELLISHMENTS
    

    THE FORGOING WILL PROVIDE THE HOUSE HISTORIAN WITH A COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY OF A PROPERTY. THE LEVEL OF DETAIL WILL DEPEND ON THE INDIVIDUAL'S PERSISTENCE AND THE TIME ONE WANTS TO INVEST IN THE EFFORT. THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL POSSIBILITIES FOR BUILDING AN EVEN MORE COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY, BUT THEY WILL ADD TO THE TIME INVOLVED, AND ARE CONSIGNED TO THE CATEGORY OF EMBELLISHMENTS.

  • PRE-TITLE LAND HISTORY
    

    THE COURSE OF ACTION OUTLINED ABOVE FOR ESTABLISHING THE HISTORY OF OWNERSHIP WOULD TAKE ONE TO THE POINT OF INITIAL SUBDIVISION OF THE PROPERTY. ST.LOUIS HAS A FASCINATING COLONIAL LAND HISTORY AS WELL, AND THE RECORD ARE AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT AN EFFORT TO DETERMINE THAT HISTORY FOR MOST PROPERTY OF THE CITY.

    THE FRENCH, INTENT MAINLY ON THE FUR TRADE, ESTABLISHED A NUMBER OF TRADING POSTS AND VILLAGES THROUGHOUT THE MISSISSIPPI BASIN THROUGH THE FIRST PART OF THE 1700'S. ST.LOUIS WAS ESTABLISHED ON THE FRENCH SIDE OF THE RIVER NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE MISSOURI IN 1764 BY PIERRE LACLEDE LIGUEST OF NEW ORLEANS. THE WEST BANK WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE THE EAST BANK HAD BEEN CEDED TO THE ENGLISH BY THE TREATY OF PARIS WHICH ENDED THE SEVEN YEARS WAR (FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR) IN 1763.

    ALTHOUGH LACLEDE'S TOWN REMAINED FRENCH IN LANGUAGE, CUSTOMS, AND CHARACTER THROUGHOUT IT'S EARLY DEVELOPMENT, IT DID NOT REMAIN FRENCH IN GOVERNMENT FOR LONG. TO PROTECT THE AREA FROM THE ENGLISH VICTORS IN THE SEVEN YEARS WAR, AND TO GAIN A SMALL TERRITORY IN EUROPE, FRANCE HAD CEDED THE WESTERN PART OF THE MISSISSIPPI BASIN TO THE SPANISH CROWN IN 1762 UNDER THE TREATY OF FOUNTAINEBLEU. SPAIN DID NOT BEGIN TO EXERCISE AUTHORITY IN THE AREA UNTIL 1769, AT WHICH TIME A SPANISH GOVERNOR WAS ESTABLISHED IN NEW ORLEANS, AND A LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR FOR UPPER LOUISIANA INSTALLED AT ST.LOUIS IN 1770.

    SPANISH COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION WAS RELATIVELY RELAXED. THE BUSINESS OF THE TOWN WAS CONDUCTED BY A COMBINATION OF TOWN MEETINGS, ELECTED SYNDICS, AND DECREE. THE LANGUAGE OF THE STREETS WAS FRENCH, AND MOST OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS WERE EXECUTED IN BOTH FRENCH AND SPANISH.

    THE FRENCH INFLUENCE EXTENDED TO THE ORGANIZATION OF THE VILLAGE OF SAN LUIS. THE FRENCH MODEL OF LAND OWNERSHIP AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION WAS FOLLOWED, A FACTOR OF IMPORTANCE IN THE HISTORY OF ST.LOUIS PROPERTIES.

    UNDER THE FRENCH MODEL FOR A VILLAGE, INDIVIDUALS OWNED PROPERTY AS INDIVIDUALS IN THE VILLAGE PROPER, WHILE THE MUNICIPALITY OWNED A COMMON AVAILABLE TO ALL LANDOWNERS FOR PASTURAGE. IN ADDITION THERE WERE COMMON FIELDS SURROUNDING THE VILLAGE. THESE WERE ALLOCATED TO RESIDENTS FOR PASTURE AND CROPS, BUT WERE NOT USUALLY OWNED BY THE INDIVIDUAL. THE COMMON FIELDS WERE FENCED AS A WHOLE, AND MAINTENANCE OF THE FENCE WAS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY OF THE VILLAGERS. THE INDIVIDUAL PLOTS WERE TYPICALLY VERY LONG AND NARROW. ONE HISTORIAN ATTRIBUTED THIS TO THE NEED FOR PROTECTION FROM MARAUDING INDIANS, NOTING THAT BY STARTING ON THE VILLAGE END OF A NARROW PLOT AND WORKING OUTWARD, THERE WOULD ALWAYS BE ASSISTANCE IN THE VICINITY WERE A RAID TO DEVELOP. THIS THEORY, ALTHOUGH INTERESTING, BREAKS DOWN, SINCE THE SAME SYSTEM OF NARROW PLOTS WAS USED IN EUROPE.

    THE COMMON FIELDS' OWNERSHIP LATER CAME INTO DISPUTE. THE OFFICERS OF THE CROWN CONSIDERED THEM PART OF THE ROYAL DOMAIN, WHILE THE VILLAGERS CONSIDERED THEM THE PROPERTY OF THE COMMUNITY.

    LAND MANAGEMENT IN THE SPANISH PERIOD WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF A SPANISH COLONIAL OFFICIAL CALLED THE "INTENDANT". THE INTENDANT WAS ASSIGNED ALL DUTIES CONCERNED WITH ROYAL FUNDS AND LANDS. IN UPPER LOUISIANA, THE POWERS OF BOTH THE GOVERNOR AND THE INTENDANT IN NEW ORLEANS WERE DELEGATED TO THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR. THE VARIOUS LIEUTENANTS GOVERNOR IN SAN LUIS USED THIS DELEGATION IN DIFFERENT WAYS. WHEN THEY EXCEEDED THE GOVERNOR'S OR INTENDANT'S VIEW OF THEIR AUTHORITY, THE OFFICIAL IN NEW ORLEANS WAS QUICK TO REMIND THEM WHERE THE REAL POWER WAS VESTED.

    THE SPANISH USED A SYSTEM OF LAND GRANTS AS A MEANS OF TRANSFERRING PROPERTY FROM THE ROYAL DOMAIN TO PRIVATE OWNERSHIP. GENERALLY, SUCH GRANTS WERE GIVEN AS REWARDS OR IN RESPONSE TO SPECIAL PLEAS FROM SPANISH SUBJECTS. THE GRANTS VARIED WIDELY IN EXTENT, RANGING FROM A FEW ARPENS TO TENS OF THOUSANDS OF ARPENS. FURTHER, SINCE THERE WAS NO ORGANIZED SYSTEM OF DIVIDING LAND (SUCH AS THE SECTION SYSTEM USED BY THE AMERICANS) THE GRANTS WERE IRREGULAR IN SHAPE AS WELL AS SIZE, AND OFTEN OVERLAPPED WITH ONE ANOTHER AS A RESULT OF POOR SURVEYING AND RECORDING SYSTEMS.

    TO COMPLICATE THE SITUATION IN SAN LUIS, THE LAST SPANISH LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, DON CARLOS DeLASSUS, SEEMS TO HAVE ANTICIPATED THE TRANSFER OF THE WESTERN MISSISSIPPI BASIN TO AMERICAN SOVEREIGNTY IN 1804 BY DISTRIBUTING LARGE TRACTS OF THE SPANISH ROYAL DOMAIN TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN 1803, APPARENTLY BACK-DATING SOME OF THE GRANTS TO MAKE THE ACTION SEEM LESS PRECIPITOUS.

    THIS RESULTED IN A PROLONGED SET OF LEGAL BATTLES THROUGHOUT THE FIRST HALF OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY AS THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT ATTEMPTED TO ADJUDICATE CONFLICTING CLAIMS OF OWNERSHIP BASED ON THE SPANISH GRANTS, COMMON FIELD CLAIMS, AND OTHER FACTORS. FOR THE HOUSE HISTORIAN, THESE LEGAL CONFLICTS ARE A BOON, BECAUSE THEY LED TO EXTENSIVE DOCUMENTATION OF PATTERNS OF OWNERSHIP IN THE PERIOD BEFORE 1804. KNOWING THE LOCATION OF A PROPERTY AND ITS TITLE HISTORY, ONE CAN MOVE FURTHER BACK IN ITS HISTORY USING THE RECORDS ATTENDANT ON THESE LEGAL DISPUTES.

    THE MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY IS THE PLACE TO START. THEIR MAP COLLECTION CONTAINS SEVERAL MAPS WHICH DELINEATE THE OLD SPANISH CLAIMS, AND WHICH CAN SERVE AS AN ENTREE TO THE VARIOUS LEGAL DOCUMENTS WHICH CONFIRM OR DENY THE VALIDITY OF THE CLAIMS. THESE DOCUMENTS INCLUDE LAWSUITS, REPORTS OF LAND COMMISSIONERS, AND ACTS OF CONGRESS AND THEIR SUPPORTING REPORTS. CAREFUL RESEARCH SHOULD ALLOW ONE TO FILL IN THE GAPS BETWEEN THE FIRST DEEDS AND THE SPANISH GRANT ERA, AND TO DOCUMENT THE OWNERSHIP OF ANY PROPERTY BACK TO THE FRENCH ROYAL DOMAIN OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.

  • PHOTOGRAPHS
    

    ANOTHER EMBELLISHMENT FOR A HOUSE HISTORY ARE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE STRUCTURE AND/OR THE NEIGHBORHOOD AT VARIOUS POINTS IN ITS HISTORY. THERE ARE EXCELLENT RESOURCES AVAILABLE, BUT THIS IS A SLOW PROCESS OF SORTING THROUGH HUNDREDS OF STREET SCENES, ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOS, AND OTHER MATERIALS ON THE CHANCE THAT THE BUILDING OF INTEREST WAS INCLUDED IN AN OLD PHOTO. THE ST.LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY AND THE MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOTH MAINTAIN COLLECTIONS ARRANGED BY TOPIC, BUT NOT CATALOGED BY PHOTO. ADVANCE APPOINTMENTS ARE REQUIRED TO USE THE MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO ARCHIVES.

    PHOTOGRAPHS ARE OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO THOSE LIVING IN THE AREA INVOLVED IN THE TORNADO DAMAGE IN 1896. THIS EVENT WAS WELL DOCUMENTED BY THE PHOTOGRAPHERS OF THE TIME, AND IF A STRUCTURE WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED, THERE IS AN EXCELLENT CHANCE OF LOCATING A PHOTO OF THE DAMAGE IN ONE OF THE PHOTO COLLECTIONS.

  • REFERENCES
    
    • BILLON, FREDERIC L. "THE ANNALS OF ST.LOUIS" 1801-1885
    • BIOGRAPHICAL'S DUPRE, E. "ATLAS OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF ST.LOUIS" 1838 AND PRIOR "GATEWAY HERITAGE"
    • HYDE, WILLIAM AND CONARD, HOWARD L., EDS. "ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE HISTORY OF ST. LOUIS" SOUTHERN HISTORY CO. NEW YORK 1899
    • SHARF, JOHN T. "HISTORY OF ST. LOUIS CITY AND COUNTY" 1883 2 VOLS.
    • ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY "HISTORY OF ST. LOUIS NEIGHBORHOODS SERIES" ST.LOUIS 1980
    • ST.LOUIS NECROLOGY--COLLECTION OF OBITUARIES FROM ST.LOUIS PAPERS
    • FROM THE BOOKLET "HOUSES HISTORY IN ST.LOUIS" GUIDE TO RESEARCH ON REAL ESTATE AND BUILDING HISTORY BY JAMES R. KIMMEY
  • "ST.LOUIS HISTORY BOOKS "
    • "SOME NEW VIEWS OF OLD CHELTENHAM" BY GEORGE A.BROOKS
    • "HISTORY OF CHELTENHAM AND ST.JAMES" BY REV.O'CONNER (1937)STL282
    • "HISTORY OF ST.LOUIS NEIGHBORHOODS" SET STL-9.11 BY WAYMAN L.NORBURY
    • (BOOKS READ-OAKLAND&CLIFTON, THE HILL) F474 S2 H44 1980
    • "ST.LOUIS:IT'S NEIGHBORHOODS,NEIGHBORS,LANDMARKS & MILESTONES" (BY ROBERT E.HANNON)
    • "LION OF THE VALLEY" BY JAMES NEAL PRIMM
    • "THE STREETS OF ST.LOUIS" BY WILLIAM & MARCELLA C.MAGMAN
    • "IMMIGRANTS ON THE HILL" BY GARY ROSS MORMINO
    • "ST.LOUIS LOST" BY MARY BARTLEY
    • "PICTORAL HISTORY OF ST.LOUIS" BY COMPTON & DRY 1875
    • "HISTORY OF ST.LOUIS CITY AND COUNTY" BY THOMAS J.SCHARF 1883
    • "ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE HISTORY OF ST.LOUIS" BY HYDE & CONARD 1889
    • "GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MO." (BULLETIN #3 1890) STL 666.7 B762
    • "ST.LOUIS COUNTY CENSUS" 1840 (MICROFILM INFORMATION FILE)
    • "A HISTORY OF ST.LOUIS AND VICINITY" STL 282 Sa23ja2
    • "ST.LOUIS HISTORY" STL9Sa244 IN STACKS
    • "CLAY INDUSTRIES" MO 550 M6963
    • "THE HILL" 1976 (SOCIAL SCIENCE INSTITUTE, WASH.U.)
    • "ST.LOUIS THE FOURTH CITY" 1909 BY WALTER B.STEVENS F8845 S84 h2
    • "ATLAS OF ST.LOUIS COUNTY" 1870 BY HUTAWA (PG13&18)
    • "DEEDS OF THE COUNTY OF ST.LOUIS MO." (1847 BY HUTAWA)PG.76&77
    • "FRENCH TOWN" BY JOHN RODABOUGH (PG84-THE ARSENAL,PG.87-JEFFERSON BARRACKS,PG.121-PICTURE OF STATUE AT GRAND WATER TOWER)
    • "HISTORY OF ST.LOUIS COUNTY" BY THOMAS 977.8
    • "HISTORY OF ST.LOUIS CAR COMPANY"
    • "BILL SUBLETTE MOUNTAIN MAN" BY JOHN EDWARD SUNDER
    • "ST.LOUIS" BY FRANCES HURD STADLER F8845 S777
    • "BUILDING OF ST.LOUIS" BY WALTER B.STEVENS F8845 S84
  • " RESEARCH CONTACTS "
    • MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY LIBRARY/ARCHIVES
      ANNE WOODHOUSE (SENIOR CURATOR) 746-4534
      CHARLENE McNEELY 6508 NASHVILLE 645-8666
      HAS MY PAPERWORK ON DOG TOWN)
    • MAUREEEN BRADY 645-7508 SECRETARY OF CLAYTON/TAMM
  • REFERENCE BOOKS FROM "IMMIGRANTS ON THE HILL"
    • "FIRST CHOUTEAUS" BY FOLEY AND RICE
    • "SHAPING OF ST.LOUIS" BY HOLT
    • "VIEWS OF LOUISIANA" BY BRACKENRIDGE
    • "LION OF THE VALLEY" BY PRIMM
    • "ST.LOUIS'S TRANSITION DECADE" BY HOLT
    • "WESTERN WORLD" BY MACKAY
    • "GILDED AGE" BY TWAIN
    • "ST.LOUIS" BY REAVIS
    • "FUTURE OF ST.LOUIS" BY HOLT
    • "SIXTH CENSUS OF THE UNITED STATES" 1850,MISSOURI
    • "CITIES AND IMMIGRANTS" BY WARD
    • "ELEVENTH CENSUS,1890, POPULATION MISSOURI"
    • "ST.LOUIS GERMANS" BY OLSON
    • "HISTORY OF THE CLAY-WORKING INDUSTRY" BY REIS AND LEIGHTON
    • "BRICK AND CLAY RECORD" (AUG.15,1908
    • "TOILERS OF THE DARK" GLOBE-DEMOCRAT,JUNE 9,1907

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