History of the Lou - NewsRadio 1120 KMOX

If you've heard of the Lemp Mansion in St. Louis, you may have also heard that it is haunted. The Lemp Brewery dates back to 1840, and part of the building still stands today, as does the Lemp Mansion. Stephen Walker, author of "Lemp, The Haunting History" joins Sue to talk about the Lemps themselves, their history in St. Louis, and why the rumors about the haunting exist. Wow, the stories! Learn about The Lavendar Lady and more...

2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, which significantly changed the St. Louis area and helped launch the American family vacation. Local author and historian Joe Sonderman is back talking about it all, including how parts of entire neighborhoods were taken down to make way for the highways. Sonderman wrote, "St. Louis...Bridges, Highways, and Roads", by the way. Oh, and Fred Bodimer drops by to talk about how interstate construction affected his family.

St. Louis has a rich soccer history that goes back into the 1800s! This week, St. Louisan Dave Lange, author of "St. Louis Soccer, an Illustrated Timeline" joins Sue to talk about the story of soccer in St. Louis...how it arrived and how it survived. Did you know that 5 St. Louisans were part of one of the biggest upsets in sports history when the U.S. beat England in the 1950 World Cup? Find out that story and more in this week's episode. Dave will be doing a book-signing at Barnes and Noble in Fenton on 9/26/26.

The show title is also the title of a new book by Don Corrigan and photographer Diana Linsley, who worked together for years at the Webster-Kirkwood Times, Inc., and joined forces for this one We have so many beautiful places and different terrains in Missouri, including everything from waterfalls to swamps...and this book talks introduces you to places close by, and some that require a road trip.

The St. Louis Municipal Opera Theater doesn't go back as far as the St. Louis Cardinals or The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra...it began in the 20th century, but what a story! Dennis Brown, author of "Stage Page" and former theater critic for the Riverfront Times wrote a history of The Muny (called The Muny Saga) for its 100th anniversary on muny.org. What does the River Des Peres have to do with the Muny, who performed there over the years, and which famous actors loved it the most? Hear the stories and follow along with the sage on this week's episode!

First up, Andrew Wanko, Public Historian at the Missouri History Museum tells the story of St. Louis' biggest cheerleader, then Jay Traxel, Membership Chairman at the Moolah Shrine Temple talks about the Shriner's history and their upcoming 140th Anniversary Celebration on August 15, 2026. Finally, Amanda Clark explains 3 Flags Day in St. Louis. It's a hodgepodge of St. Louis history!

Did you know that our own 6 Flags in Eureka, MO opened BEFORE Disney World? Yep...by several months! Elizabeth Gotway, Communications Manager for 6 Flags has worked at the park for 44 years and knows all the current and past rides, along with their stories. She and Sue talk about everything from Tom's Twister to Batman: The Ride, and how the park has updated old rides and how and when it decides to bring in new ones. Remember when there were concerts at 6 Flags? You're not going to believe who performed at Old Glory Amphitheater before he hit it big...

Where did Webster Groves get its name? How did it come to be? Oh, and you'll not believe the reason it finally decided to incorporate! Webster Groves resident and author of the book "Webster Groves, A Walk Through History", Steve Schoenbeck joins Sue to talk about one of the oldest suburbs of St. Louis.

Yes, it is the 150th anniversary of the publication of Mark Twain's book, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." Amanda Clark, Public Historian at the Missouri Historical Society drops by to talk about that, the author's connections to St. Louis, and more. She and Sue discuss everything from the islands that used to be in the Mississippi to the Eads Bridge, to what granite has to do with the riverfront. You can still take a river cruise on the "Tom Sawyer" today, or take a canoe ride down the Mississippi River!

St. Louis native Dennis Brown has some great stories. A former theater critic for The Riverfront Times, he has had a very interesting career himself, working on "Murder She Wrote" among other things! Brown has written a new book entitled, "Stage Page", and he joins Sue to talk about it, his intriguing career, and St. Louis theater. Oh, and Gregory Peck.