Show-Me History Podcast

While the language in this episode is clean, the topic is a little on the heavy side. Parents, maybe skip this one with the little ones.

As I started researching the Social Evil Hospital, it just rabbit holed into the topic of, we’ll say, women of ill repute. This episode contains adult subject matter and may not be suitable for all ages. So, if you listen to this with kids around, screen it first. My apologies, I suppose I was naïve in setting out in my research on this topic.

Dubbed the St. Louis Experiment, the Social Evil Hospital was the first of its kind in the United States. As part of a global social hygiene movement, the Social Evil Hospital and the ordinance that created it were groundbreaking ideas for their time.

St. Louis in 1870 was a wild and wicked place. With a population of 235,000, there were 5,000 prostitutes: that’s 1 female available for “service” for every 23 males of age. Venereal diseases were on the rise. In 1869 it was reported that the city had 135+ cases of gonorrhea and syphilis per 100,000 members of the population. The Missouri Republican Newspaper had something to say about the topic: “There has been sin in the universe ever since Satan tore Heaven asunder and hell was born, and hand to hand with sin, down through the aisle of time, both in sacred and profane history, has stalked ‘The Scarlet Woman’- at once man’s creations, man’s sorrow and man’s curse”.

The location of brothels was an issue within this social evil. The far ends of the levee, Almond and Poplar Streets, Christy Avenue and Morgan Street were full of adverse establishments. Brothels attracted a certain type of undesirables in neighborhoods. Madams had the funds to outbid families on properties-including houses in what was considered good areas of the city. An article in the St Louis Democrat stated: “Everyone who knows anything about the city is aware of the fact that a very large proportion of the upper stories on 4th Street from Chestnut to Locust are occupied by gamblers, while women of bad repute monopolize whole blocks in the very heart of the city. Green Street, from 3rd to 10th, Market from 3rd to 11th, 10th Street from Clark to Chestnut, Almond, Poplar, and Spruce Streets from Main to 4th are the chosen habitations of the women of the town”.

People feared it would take over the city. Citizens urged the city government to do something about the growing problem.

City Health Officer, William Barrett made a plea to regulate the social evil. It was “destroying the health and vigor of a large portion of our inhabitants and tainting their blood with an ineradicable poison.” Back in 1858, William Sanger, a prominent doctor in New York, published a study advocating that the United States use systems similar to Paris to regulate and medically inspect prostitutes to decrease the spread of disease. William Barrett was a proponent of this philosophy. In his 1870 annual report, Barrett cited much of Sanger’s work in his presentation to the city government.

The City sought to control the issue through policy. If they could not eradicate the problem, they could attempt to regulate it. So, St. Louis became the first city in the nation to legalize prostitution. A provision in the city’s charter approved by State legislators allowed St. Louis to suppress or regulate prostitution.  The Board of Aldermen passed the Social Evil Ordinance on July 5, 1870, with a vote of 16 to 5.  The Social Evil Ordinance legalized prostitution with restrictions.  Solicitation of services was forbidden. This included street walking, actions, signs, advertisements, etc.

Women were required to register in one of 3 classes.

Women had to provide their name, any aliases, permanent address, age, and other occupations (if applicable). Any changes of address had to be reported to the Board of Health. The only way to be removed from the registration list was to move to another city, legally agree and avow to leave the profession, or die.  Registered women and madams had to pay fees to the Board of Health. There was a monthly tax levy on brothels.

The city was divided into 6 districts by ward. Each district was assigned a physician to examine registered women on a weekly basis. Women who passed their exam were given a certificate of health and permission to carry out their business. Women failing were forced to report to the hospital within 24 hours for further evaluation and treatment. Initially these women were sent to the city hospital, but this was not the best idea. Other patients complained of having to share quarters with low class people and women of ill repute. It was also noted that these ladies got a little too “friendly” with the male staff members.

The ordinance also regulated the locations of brothels. Police were specifically assigned to a district to patrol and regulate terms of ordinance. They were given the right to survey establishments as the pleased and issue fines and arrest people as they deemed necessary. Doors of brothels were to be kept unlocked and available for inspection at all times.  Initially the press praised the city for the ordinance. An article in the Missouri Republican Newspaper stated, “If the evil cannot be suppressed, the wisest course of action is to regulate it with proper bounds.” St. Louis was called a model city in legislation and its attempt to control a social evil.  Within the first 8 months 1,284 women working for established and 243 individuals registered. There were 136 brothels and 9 houses on the books to be taxed.

In the Fall of 1872, the Social Evil Hospital opened. The hospital was located at the corner of Arsenal and Sublette— 4 miles outside the city limits at the time. It was near the City’s poor house and farm, as well as the insane asylum.

Side note: Let’s just put all the outcasts together outside the city limits. -Amy

Costing over $100,00 to construct, it was a tall brick building on 11 acres of land. Its operations and construction were funded by the fees and licenses from madams and individual prostitutes.  The hospital treated all types of conditions, treatment of STDs, mental illness, addictions, pregnancy, and childbirth, as well as everyday maladies. The circumstances of the hospital were not ideal for its patients. Several patients were assigned to a room with bunked beds. They were under watch and always guarded. No one was permitted to leave until they were deemed cleared by a physician.

Another side note: I’m curious as to how/when patients were deemed free of their venereal disease. The only proven cure for syphilis is penicillin, and it was not discovered until 1928- and it was not until 1943 that it was used to treat syphilis. Gonorrhea is treated with sulfa drugs, and they didn’t come along until the 1940s. Most likely the cure (and I’m doing air quotes here) was a mixture of mercury and arsenic. -Amy

Also on the campus of the hospital was a House of Industry. Here, women were urged to leave their profession and find a more suitable lifestyle. They received lectures from reformers, an attempt was made to teach them valuable skills to obtain a job in a different career path. The House of Industry lasted a short while as most women did not profit from its services.

The ordinance proved difficult to administer. By 1874, the law was falling apart. Very few brothels and individuals were registered. The system was corrupt from within. Women had certificates of health but were never examined. One woman was found to have a certificated dated 3 weeks in advance. The doctors assigned to assist with this requirement of the ordinance had a heavy case load. Only 6 physicians to attend to weekly examinations of thousands of women. They began issuing health certificates and collecting fees, but not conducting medical examinations.

The system was never really successful and began to unravel just weeks after implementation. It was an administrative nightmare to track all the women of the trade and update constant address changes. Registration had fallen by 45%.  And of course, the citizens of St. Louis had quite a bit to say about the situation.

Supporters fought for their case- the ordinance created sufficient revenue for the city. A successful madam paid a monthly tax levy of $2500. That’s $30,000 in today’s money. Others claimed it was a necessary evil of society that accompanied city life. They claimed that without access to prostitutes, men would seduce and rape women. Some doctors believed that prolonged absence from sex would lead to physiological disorders and insanity in men.

Despite these brilliant medical claims, resistance to the ordinance began to grow. Women’s organizations argued it was discriminating against women. Men of the same business were not required to register and pay fees. It was a violation of basic human rights to have to undergo unnecessary and unwanted physical examinations each week. They also felt that women did not need the right to sell their body, but equal opportunities in education to obtain proper jobs and better pay.

Women of the trade thought the regulations were too strict. Many prostitutes refused to pay fees and undergo examinations. They returned to work in their usual manner. Half of the women did not even bother to register in the first place. They still roamed the streets soliciting business. They would of course, be arrested only to return to the streets again.

Legal and patrolled brothels did not improve the tone of neighborhoods. Residents still complained of noise and bawdy behavior. In fact, people began to move out of areas with brothels, leaving vacant homes and properties. In once such case, Madam Vic De Bar was allowed to buy a house near St. Luke’s Hospital at 6th and Elm. The trustees vacated the property and moved the hospital elsewhere in the city.

One major opponent was William Greenleaf Eliot, founder of Washington University. He believed that prostitution should not be regulated but eradicated. He filed suit against Eliza Haycraft and Kate Clark, 2 of St. Louis’s best-known madams. He claimed they were breaking state law by operating brothels.

Police Chief McDonough arrested his neighbor and former prostitute, Fannie Canivan, for excessive noise coming from her house one night. He deemed her too drunk to be released and denied her proper bail. Canivan charged the police chief with arbitrary and malicious arrest. Other protesters began voicing their complaints as well. McDonough was suspended for 30 days and eventually resigned in disgrace.

In early March 1874, 72 St. Louis attorneys petitioned the Missouri legislature to repeal the law. They claimed it gave too much power to the police department. They could raid houses at will and incarcerate for indifferent amounts of time without due process. The Board of Health was forcing gynecological exams upon women. In general, the law posed a threat to civil liberties.

A bill was introduced to repeal the clause of the city’s charter permitting regulation of prostitution. It passed with a 2/3 majority vote.

On March 30, 1874, the Missouri Supreme Court declared that St. Louis could no longer regulate prostitution and nullified the Social Evil Ordinance. Both the legislation bill and court decision merely said the city could not regulate prostitution, but not technically ban it altogether. The city was back where it started. In 1879, prostitution within the city limits would be legally banned.

The state legislature and Governor Charles Johnson were concerned about the environment within St. Louis. They were worried that similar incidents regarding Police Chief McDonough would continue to occur. They feared police would use information and evidence obtained in previous years to incriminate and arrest women. They banned members of the police department from entering brothels without a warrant. They could not extort money from women to ignore past wrong doings.

After the ordinance was nullified, the Social Evil Hospital was renamed Female Hospital with the mission to care for poor women and children of all backgrounds. No men were allowed to live on the grounds since they still treated women of ill repute. It remained in use in this capacity until 1910. It was then repurposed as a home for the elderly residents of the city’s poor houses.

Female hospital side note: 1906 Carrie McDonald gave birth to a baby girl— Fred Josephine McDonald— who grew up to be Josephine Baker.

In 1915, the building was demolished to make way for Sublette Park.  The Social Evil Ordinance attempted to bring order to a chaotic scene but proved unsuccessful. For a brief moment, St. Louis was the center of attention for social do-gooders as the administration of the ordinance unfolded but was ultimately condemned for its execution.

All research, editing, and production done by River City Productions for Show-Me History.

We can be reached at [email protected], on Facebook at facebook.com/showmehistorystl, or on Twitter at twitter.com/ShowMe_History.

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The post Episode 15 – The Social Evil Hospital first appeared on Show-Me History Podcast.

In this episode of Show Me History, we dive into the rich history of Lafayette Square Park in St. Louis. From its origins as a 30-acre public commons in 1767 to becoming the city’s first public park in 1851, Lafayette Square has transformed from a dangerous, untamed space to a picturesque Victorian-era park. We’ll explore its evolution, from military training ground and community hotspot to the restoration efforts of today. Join us as we uncover the park’s fascinating journey, its role in the city’s development, and the ongoing efforts to preserve its historic legacy.

All research, editing, and production done by River City Productions for Show-Me History.

We can be reached at [email protected], on Facebook at facebook.com/showmehistorystl, or on Twitter at twitter.com/ShowMe_History.

Please take a moment to drop us a comment and rate us on whatever platform you’re listening on. Every interaction helps! Thank you for listening!

The post Episode 13 – Lafayette Square Park first appeared on Show-Me History Podcast.

What began as the old commons far from the city’s hub, Lafayette Square became a prominent residential area, only to fall into decline for decades and eventually be brought back to life.

Come with us and learn about one of St. Louis's most cherished neighborhoods.

All research, editing, and production done by River City Productions for Show-Me History.

We can be reached at [email protected], on Facebook at facebook.com/showmehistorystl, or on Twitter at twitter.com/ShowMe_History.

Please take a moment to drop us a comment and rate us on whatever platform you're listening on. Every interaction helps! Thank you for listening!

The post Episode 12 – The Lafayette Square Neighborhood first appeared on Show-Me History Podcast.

Once the icon of St. Louis, and originally named the Illinois and St. Louis Bridge, Eads Bridge is a significant piece of engineering history. It was the first permanent bridge to span the Mississippi River and was developed and built by self-taught engineer, James Eads.

All research, editing, and production done by River City Productions for Show-Me History.

We can be reached at [email protected], on Facebook at facebook.com/showmehistorystl, or on Twitter at twitter.com/ShowMe_History.

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The post Episode 11 – Mr. Eads and His Bridge first appeared on Show-Me History Podcast.

Basing her teachings on German philosophy, the methods of Friedrich Froebel, and pre-existing kindergarten programs, Susan Blow developed the first continuous kindergarten program supported by public funds in America. Her first class at Des Peres school was in St. Louis, MO. Blow’s kindergarten and teacher training program would spur on a movement of early childhood education across America.

All research, editing, and production done by River City Productions for Show-Me History.

We can be reached at [email protected], on Facebook at facebook.com/showmehistorystl, or on Twitter at twitter.com/ShowMe_History.

Please take a moment to drop us a comment and rate us on whatever platform you're listening on! Thank you for listening!

The post Episode 10 – Susan Blow, the Mother of Kindergarten in America first appeared on Show-Me History Podcast.

Part 3 of our trifecta of episodes about 1849 in St. Louis finds us discussing yet ANOTHER fire, race riots, and our city's unfortunate past with slavery.

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The post Episode 09 – 1849 in St Louis part 3 first appeared on Show-Me History Podcast.

What started as a race between a few friends has become an internationally renowned event. The Forest Park Balloon Race is an annual event drawing thousands of spectators. In this episode we’ll explore the origins of the race and ballooning history of St. Louis.

St. Louis has a rich history when it comes to hot air balloons. As early as 1859, St. Louis saw its first hot air balloon­­­­— or lighter than aircraft as they were called initially.

In attempt to seek financial support for a transatlantic balloon trip, a ballooning enthusiast, Professor John Wise devised a plan. He would journey halfway across the United States via hot air balloon. Proving success in this trip, he assumed he would stimulate interest and supporters would finance his trip across the Atlantic Ocean. The plan was to fly from St. Louis, Missouri to Henderson New York, a trip of 1,200 miles.

The balloon was constructed by John LaMountain, a fellow balloonist from New York. A man called Mr. O. A. Gager would finance the build. Gager was a Vermont businessman with an interest in the project. The balloon was made of the finest Chinese silk, measured 50 feet in diameter and 60 feet tall. It could hold 60,000 cubic feet of gas. Below the balloon was suspended a wicker basket (much like we see today with hot air balloons). Hanging 16 feet below the basket was a small wooden boat to hold supplies while traveling and to use for a potential water landing.

The balloon was christened the Atlantic.

The journey started on July 1, 1859, in St. Louis. On board were Professor John Wise, LaMountain, Gager, and Mr. William Hyde, a reporter for the Missouri Republican (a St. Louis paper of the time).

At 6:45pm, the Atlantic was cut loose and began her journey. 

Of the first leg of the trip, Hyde wrote:

“The applauding shots of the people reached our ears for some time after we left the earth, growing fainter and fainter as we receded. Objects became less clearly defined. Finally, the city faded into a spot. The balloon afforded an extended view of the Mississippi River, the Missouri and Illinois rivers. I had an opportunity to realize, as much as possible to a practical person, the meaning of poetic dreams when attempting to portray the silver, glittering sheen of the waters produced by rays of the declining sun. Nothing could be imagined more gorgeously beautiful.”

By 6:45 the next morning, the had reached Lake Erie. Shortly after this, things began to go awry. While traveling over Lake Ontario, they encountered a severe storm with terrible wind gusts. As no land was in sight, they began jettisoning everything they could from the aircraft in an attempt either outfly the storm or reach an altitude above the storm.

This didn’t quite work out.

By 1:35 pm they could see land but were still caught in the storm. A strong wind caused the balloon to crash upon the shores of Lake Ontario. Before the men could leave the craft, another gust of wind picked up the balloon and began dragging it along the treetops of a nearby forest. The Atlantic miraculously landed safely in the forked branches of a large tree. None of the men aboard were injured, but the balloon was shredded.

In total, the Atlantic flew 809 miles, for a duration of 19 hours and 50 minutes. A record that would not be broken for over 50 years.

During the early 1900s, Washington University sent roughly 50 experimental balloons into the atmosphere to measure various weather conditions. It would not be until 1907 that St. Louis saw a hot air balloon race.

On October 21, 1907, St. Louis was host to the 2nd James Gordon Bennett International Balloon Race. This race was about total distance, not speed. 100,000 spectators viewed 12 balloons representing 4 countries launch from Forest Park. The balloons were mostly made of silk and were filled with propane or natural gas provided by Laclede Gas Company. Even if St. Louisans were not in Forest Park to view the balloon race, they knew about the event. During the time it took to inflate all 12 balloons, citizens lost gas service.

Side note: I want to point out the hot air balloons of this time did not look like the beautiful colorful and shapely objects we see today. They looked like creepy black or gray orbs floating in the sky with a basket suspended underneath.

The winner of the 1907 Gordon Bennett cup was a German balloon, the Pommern. It landed in a seaside town in New Jersey and traveled 880 miles in 40 hours.

St. Louis would go on to host the James Gordon Bennett International Balloon Race again in 1910 and in 1929.

During this time, St. Louis held annual balloon races of its own, and enthusiasm in ballooning soared. This led to the creation of the Aero Club of St. Louis. Which lead to the establishment of Scott Field in 1917. It was developed as a “lighter than air” training center.

The Aero Club of St. Louis also established Kinloch Field. They were the only Aero club in the country to have their own dedicated field. As Major Albert Lambert was president of the St. Louis Aero Club, this interest in ballooning also led to the creation of Lambert Airport. 

Ballooning continued in St. Louis for next few decades. However, with the crash of the Hindenburg in 1937, interest in lighter than air crafts quickly declined, not only in St. Louis, but across the world. By the 1950’s interest began to surface again. This time with improvements in safety, including the use of propane instead of natural gas.

The St. Louis Forest Park Balloon Race began in December of 1973. With just 6 balloons and 20 spectators, Nikki Caplan and John O’Toole set out to have a balloon race amongst friends.

The event remained small for the first few years. Then, in 1977 a group deemed the Fab Four became involved. In the early 1970’s Ted Staley, John Schaumberg, Dan Schettler and John Marlow came across an opportunity to purchase a used hot air balloon. Dubbing themselves as the Mississippi River Balloon Transit Company, they learned to fly and began attending the races at Forest Park. By 1977, they had taken over as the event’s organizers and continue to do so today.

How did this race go from just 20 spectators to the 100,000 or so that attend annually now? John Schaumberg said about the balloon race:

“The race kind of grew organically. No one had any idea it would end up where it has. We just conscripted local pilots, then decided if there are commercial balloons, we could charge sponsorships to fund it. We made a connection with Forest Park. Every year more people got involved, more sponsors involved. It just grew. The race pretty much runs itself now, too. Each man has a job to do, either taking care of the pilots with gifts, accommodations, good food and a party; organizing the balloon glow; running the race itself; or managing publicity.”

At some point, the event planners ventured into something new. Dan Schettler convinced KMOX radio to not only cover the race, but to sponsor a balloon. This began the tradition of St. Louis companies sponsoring various balloons for the race. Not only did this increase coverage of the event, but also allowed the group financial backing for insurance, event planning, awards, clean-up, security-all the necessary things to make the balloon race a success. 

The Forest Park Balloon Race is a hare and hound style race. The hare balloon takes off first and leads the pack of other balloons. It is the first to land. The crew of the hare balloon places a large X on the ground. The other balloons, the hounds, must drop their bean bag as close to the center of the X as possible. The balloon crew that gets their bean bag closed to the center of the X is the winner. After dropping their bean bag, the hound balloons must find a safe place to land. Balloons have landed all over the city— in parking lots, backyards (including Chuck Berry’s yard, parks, and even once at the convent for the Sisters of Notre Dame in South County).

The race is capped at 70 balloons and is by invitation only. Because of its urban location, the race requires pilots of great experience. It can be difficult navigating take-off in a city, not to mention you never know where you’ll have to land. There’s not always an open spot like a field. Pilots of course, must be FAA certified and licensed.

The entire event must be approved by the FAA. The FAA sends out a helicopter that flies at 3,00 feet. Pilots, unless landing, are not permitted to fly below that. Although pilots have clearance to fly over the international airspace of Lambert Field, it has been requested for balloons not to land on the runway if at all possible.

So, why is that we attend the balloon race in September and not December like the original race? Well, the pilots of the early days knew the weather was terrible in December—cold, wet, windy— really hard to attempt to take off and fly a hot air balloon. So, a member of the Fab Four contacted the weather service inquiring about the best conditions for flying balloons. Historical data has shown that the 3rd weekend in September has the best weather.

Now dubbed "The Great Forest Park Balloon Race", the event continues to evolve. In 1997, the Balloon Glow was introduced and has become a staple component of the event. On Friday evening before the race, all the balloons participating are set-up in a field in Forest Park. At dusk, the balloons are lit up. It is truly something to see and I highly recommend making the trip if you can.

One of the best parts about the balloon race is that it’s not confined to Forest Park. Even if you don’t attend the Balloon Glow or the launch of the balloons for the race, you can still be a spectator. The Saturday of the race, balloons can be seen flying all over the metro area as they attempt to find the X, drop their bean bag and find a place to land. As a kid, I remember seeing the giant pink Energizer Bunny balloon flying over my house and thinking it was the bee’s knees. Some St. Louisans even have balloon parties hoping to catch a glimpse of the balloons throughout the race.

In May of 2000, The Forest Park Balloon Race was inducted into the Library of Congress’s American Folk Life Center. They honor local legacies of significance to their communities. The library holds photos, programs, posters, videos, pins and pilot gifts from the Great Forest Park Balloon Race. This past September, the balloon race celebrated its 50th year and continues to draw thousands of spectators for the balloon glow and race.

As if a cholera epidemic sweeping through the city wasn’t bad enough, in 1849 a great fire swept through the city, destroying hundreds of buildings in the process and leaving a large portion of the city in ruins.

The post Episode 07 – 1849 in St. Louis part 2 first appeared on Show-Me History Podcast.

1849 could be considered one of the worst, if not THE worst, years in Saint Louis’s history.  In fact, so many terrible things happened that we had to break this topic into THREE episodes just to cover it.  

Research and hosting done by Amy Blankenship.  Editing by Dave Blankenship.  Please subscribe and leave a review if you like the show!

We can be found at www.showmehistorystl.com, on Twitter at @ShowMe_History, on Facebook at Facebook.com/showmehistory, or at [email protected]!

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The post Episode 06 – 1849 in St. Louis (part 1) first appeared on Show-Me History Podcast.