History

AFFTON HISTORY Click on a year to see news articles about Affton from that year. 1915 - 1916 - 1933 - 1935 - 1946
Al's Tavern bar room circa 1930's (9012 Gravois, currently Pasta House) click on thumbnail to view larger image	Al's Tavern dining room circa 1930's (9012 Gravois, currently Pasta House) click on thumbnail to view larger image
Excerpted & edited by various Members of the Board of the Affton Chamber of Commerce, taken from the 125th Anniversary Special Edition of The Channel, published by the Affton School District.
The Early Settlers In the year 1803 the United States of America negotiated the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France. At that time the western boundary of the United States was the Mississippi River. However, even at that early date there were many Americans who were residents of the Louisiana Country, a vast, roughly triangular shaped area which extended from the City of New Orleans to the Canadian border. St. Louis was already a thriving river city. The Chouteau’s, the Laclede’s, and other early settlers had already established a profitable fur trade with the Indians who roamed the rich fur country along the Missouri River.
Many of the early settlers around St. Louis had already been granted vast areas of land by the Spanish King, who ruled this section of North America through an appointed governor who had his headquarters in the city of New Orleans. One of the men who had gained one of these grants from the Spanish King was a Frenchman by the name of Gregoire Sarpy. Sarpy had a tract of about 6,000 acres located just southwest of St. Louis in a section known as Carondelet (named after a Governor-General of New Orleans.) Sarpy was a partner of another Frenchman, Chouteau, in a very profitable fur trade business. The tract of land that Sarpy owned extended from what is now the City of Webster Groves to a stream the Spaniards called "Rio de los Padres" and the French called "Riviere Des Peres" (River of the Fathers) after the early Jesuit missionaries who had a settlement at its mouth.
During the 1820's a Scotchman by the name of Kenneth MacKenzie had immigrated to America, made quite a fortune in fur trade, and decided to settle down to the life of a farmer. He purchased from Gregoire Sarpy a tract of about 3,000 acres the eastern half of the Sarpy lands, and established a great plantation. MacKenzie’s property included all the land between what is now Hazel Avenue to the north, Gravois Road to the south, Laclede Station Road to the west, and River des Peres to the east. This is much of what is Affton today and explains how part of Shrewsbury came to be included in the Affton School District.
In 1842 MacKenzie had his lands surveyed and divided into forty acre tracts which he put up for sale. During the period from 1835 to 1870 there was much political disturbance in western Europe, particularly Germany, and many of the German immigrants came to this section of St. Louis County to live. Many of the contributors to this story have in their possession the documents, signed by Kenneth MacKenzie, which deeded the 40 acre tracts to their ancestors.
A large tract of this ground was sold in the 1850's to Louis A. Benoist, a successful St. Louis banker. He purchased 485 acres and established a huge plantation which he called "Oakland." In the spring of 1853, Benoist commissioned George Ingham Barnett, the dean of Western architects and the first European-trained designer in St. Louis to fashion his country mansion. Barnett was born in Nottingham, England and studied in London. He came to America in 1839 at the age of 24 and after apprenticing in New York for a short time, he journeyed to St. Louis to establish a practice of his own. Barnett’s 50 years of architectural accomplishments would later include the Southern and Lindell Hotels, the water tower on North Grand, the Governor’s Mansion in Jefferson City, many lavish houses in Lafayette Square, and #7 Vandeventer Place. Benoist built a large mansion, barns, slave quarters, cottages, smokehouses, and springhouses. About one-third of the original Benoist estate now comprises the Lakewood Park Cemetery and is one of the most interesting and historical areas in Affton. The mansion, Oakland, was purchased by the Affton Historical Society in 1976 and had undergone extensive restoration. It is a showplace in the Affton community and is included in the National Register of Historic Places.
The Henry A. W. Wagener home that was at 9935 MacKenzie is one that has seen a lot of history and change. Henry A. W. Wagener’s mother, Anna Rothenbuecher Wagener, lived in that home as a child. The home was built in 1843 but was demolished years ago when the farm was sold and a subdivision was built there. -Tim Bachmann, great-grandson of Henry A. W. Wagener
According to Mr. Charles Scheidt, who had lived in Affton from 1882 till he died, the old Affton he remembered was an area of truck gardens. He told of the farmers starting out before dawn to take their produce to the market in horse drawn wagons. One of the principal markets for the farmers of this area was located in the City of St. Louis, at the wide V where Gravois meets Grand Avenue. There, twice a week, Tuesdays and Saturdays the farmers would back their wagons to the curb for the day and sell the produce of their fields direct to the residents of South St. Louis who would walk there to do their buying. Other farmers would continue on down Gravois to the old French Market, Soulard or Biddle Markets.
The "Ten Mile House" which had been located at Gravois and Tesson was a well known landmark. The name itself had much significance. In the days of the horse and carriage, there were not many "Road Markers" as we know them today. Instead travelers were guided by different buildings along the way. They devised the scale that any building one mile from the Court House in St. Louis (now the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial) would be called the "One Mile House," meaning one mile from the Court House.
Thus you will still find today a "Ten Mile House" or an "Eleven Mile House" by going out the older by-ways such as Manchester or Gravois. The building at Gravois and Tesson was the building 10 miles out Gravois Road from the courthouse. The building was originally built by the Detjen family and called Detjen Grove. The original building has been replaced by a building that now houses National Check Cashier. The Ten Mile House moved east on Gravois, but closed in early 2013 and will be re-opened under a different name.
Johann Aff began a general store at the "Ten Mile House" in 1872. Besides owning a truck garden and operating the general store, he also served as the first postmaster of the area. Thus it was for mailing purposes, the area began being referred to as Aff’s town and eventually Affton. Did you know that Johann Aff is buried near Affton, just inside the City limits?
The story of early Affton would certainly be incomplete without mention of another post-office in the area, that of Nursery, Mo. The Weber Nursery, located at approximately what is now Gravois and Coral Dr. is described in early history books as one of the most complete nurseries west of the Mississippi River. The Nursery did such a tremendous mail order business that it had its own post office; thus the name Nursery, Mo.
Although Affton is generally thought of as a German Community, a large settlement of English families made their home here. In fact, the oldest church in Affton is the Episcopalian Church built in 1882. The group met first in the McKenzie School building. In 1882 the congregation built the frame church costing $1,200 on the corner of New Hampshire and Aliceton.
The Affton as it was known prior to 1900 is described as having been a good place to live, quiet and beautiful. In the 1890's there was still much timber and game was plentiful. Most of the residents still spoke German, and a stranger coming down MacKenzie Road would attract much attention, but the people of Affton were always friendly.
Grant’s Farm Perhaps the most treasured landmark of the community is Grant’s log cabin which now stands in the Busch estate on Gravois Road. The cabin was originally built in 1848 by Ulysses S. Grant on an eighty acre tract given to him by his father-in-law, Col. Frederick Dent. This tract of ground is just west of the area where Laclede Station and Rock Hill intersect. The cabin was built in the general vicinity of what is now the St. Paul’s Cemetery entrance.
In 1890, the old Grant Cabin was moved from the farm to Old Orchard (near Webster Groves) where Justin E. Joy, a real estate dealer used to attract attention to a subdivision he was promoting. The cabin was next used in the World Fair Grounds in St. Louis in 1904 to advertise a special brand of coffee. The cabin was finally brought back to Affton when August A. Busch the 1st obtained it and located it on the present site on Gravois Road. Busch restored it to its original condition and today the cabin remains a point of great interest.
1900-1930-A Developing Community Gravois Road is Paved! The turn of the century found the little community "out by the Gravois" developing all the signs of a little town. The further development can be traced to the prominence of Gravois Road. The earliest recorded data on Gravois Road is dated 1804, according to Mr. B. Cordell Stevens, a resident of Clayton and president of the St. Louis Historical Society. On an old map this principal thoroughfare of Affton is described as the "Road that led to the Salt Spring of Clamorgan in a wagon." James Clamorgan was the name of an early Irish settler who came to Jefferson County and built a home south and east of what is now Fenton. The words "Salt Spring" refer to the saline spring, common in that region, located near this early homesite.
That early trail bore little resemblance to our Gravois of today. In fact very few, if any, of the original roads in St. Louis County can be recognized as the early trails and turnpikes laid out and traveled by the pioneers who settled this region and picked from the solid wilderness a few traffic routes which later developed into highways and boulevards. In most cases our modern highways, built to meet the needs of fast motor transportation, do not follow exactly the earlier routes which were determined largely by accommodation to the natural terrain. Modern road building machinery and materials have solved many of the problems with which the early settlers were unable to cope.
However, this early "big Road" (it could accommodate a wagon) rapidly became a much used thoroughfare. This is attested to by the fact that on December 20, 1804, a John Boli was granted a license to operate a ferry across the Meramec River two miles below what is now the present site of Fenton.
Plans for rerouting began with a petition, dated May 23, 1818, addressed to the Circuit Court asking for a road from Reaszin Sappington’s mill to the mill belonging to Wilson P. Hunt whose property was located on River des Peres. From this point the road was to proceed to the town of St. Louis. Of special interest is the names of some of the signatories of this petition: Wilson Hunt, Theodore Hunt, Joseph Wells, John Sappington, Wm. L. Long, August Chouteau, Antoine Soulard, Bernard Pratte, Sylvester Labadie and many other pioneers around whom the history of St. Louis and St. Louis County is written.
Fourteen years later (1832) this "Road to Fenton" was established and declared a public road. (Note: It was a common practice at that time for individuals to be granted the right to charge a "toll" on vehicles using a road if these individuals would maintain and keep in repair the roadway near their homes. This practice was common in western Europe, and the idea was brought over by our early settlers.) According to the records, this new road began at the "Three-Mile Post," where Gravois Ave. now intersects Arsenal St.
By an act of the Missouri State Legislature, passed February 11, 1839, Gravois Road became a state road. All the roads of those days were of dirt corduroy (logs laid side by side), or of planks, which made for the smoothest riding. Remember, in those days this area was covered with dense forest and trees were regarded of little value.
In 1845, the Missouri Assembly appropriated a sum not to exceed $7,000 to be apportioned to each township along the route for the macadamizing (a mixture of gravel and tar, a new type of road surface discovered by a man name MacAdam in Scotland) of Gravois Road within the limits of each township.
The use of the name of Gravois Road came into being about this time. The name "Gravois" came from the combination of French words meaning "gravely creek" referring to the small gravely creek that runs through the area.
In 1847, the General Assembly authorized the County Court to borrow $50,000 to macadamize all of Gravois Road. However, the general practice in road building, until the Civil War period continued to be the "plank" type of roadway. In some ways this type of road was superior to the newly developed macadam surface, which was of rather soft construction (the "steam roller" had not yet been invented), the hope being that travel would tramp the gravel and tar to a hard surface. However, the carriage wheels would cut deep ruts into the roadway and there soon appeared to one side of the right-of-way what in those days was referred to as a "summer road," a dirt road which was passable only in the summer months.
To Gravois Road belongs the distinction of being the first road in the county to be treated with a concrete surface. The experiment was made over a 6,000 foot length, extending from the St. Louis city limits at Gardenville, to Grant’s Farm, then owned by the late August A. Busch who paid half the cost of construction. The concrete roadway, 16 feet wide, was laid in 1914. All work was done with horse-drawn equipment.
Except for the state regulated Gravois Road, all the local county roads used the "toll-gate" system. We have already seen that earlier roads were maintained by the farm residents along the route for the privilege of collecting money from those traveling along the road. To enforce payment, a log, on a pivot, was swung across the road to prevent passage until the toll was collected. However, such a practice was so distasteful to travelers that as the roads became used more and more, pressure was exerted on the county governments to maintain these roads as county (tax) expense. In 1868, a county order was announced that the "toll gates on the St. Charles Road, and all those roads designated as county roads, be removed as far as the county line, as their location constituted an injustice to countians."
Other roads began to take on the names we know them by today. Tesson Ferry got its name from a settler named Tesson who operated a ferry on the Meramec River. Rock Hill Road received its name from a quarry in a "rock-hill." MacKenzie of course was taken from the first subdivider when he had his acreage divided and sold in 40 acre tracts. Weber Road was the road going between the Weber Nursery Office and nursery grounds. After MacKenzie Road was paved in 1939 other subdivisions came into being and the streets often took the names of the farmers who had sold the tract of land. Thus the names of early settlers have become permanent landmarkers: Darlow, Shepperd, Neier, Vasel, Stafford, Ashwell, to mention only a few.
As Gravois Road became more traveled, more settlers came into the area of rich truck farms and the need for more local businesses was evident. About 1915 Affton had several small businesses, according to Kenneth Keller who has done quite a bit of research on Early Affton. Tony Bauer operated a blacksmith shop on the northeast corner of Gravois Road and the Frisco Railroad tracks. August Mehl operated another smithy near Consul Ave. Affton also had 3 groceries belonging to the Hummelsheims, the Schneebergers, and Wohlschlaegers. In the Wohlschlaerger’s Store was located the second U.S. Post Office in Affton. Meyer’s meat market was also a favorite source of food.
Affton also claimed a feed store at the corner of New Hampshire and Gravois (in fact, if you remember, the old building was just torn down a few years ago). A telegraph exchange was operated by Louis J. Keller on Gravois Road between Brenda and MacKenzie. Affton also had a lumberyard, a dry goods and a hardware store, a coalyard and even an ice cream parlor.
By 1915 Affton also claimed more churches: Eden Evangelical, Salem Lutheran, and St. George’s Roman Catholic Church. An interesting note about the church services at Eden was that they were conducted regularly in German and only occasionally in English.
*The Affton of Today* As recently as 1931 Affton had only about 800 people. True, there were many small stores and the community was developing, but the Affton area still claimed a very small number of people, mostly truck farmers. With the paving of more streets by the county, subdivision after subdivision began to replace the truck farms. With the development of a more urban population there came the desire for an urban type of government. In the early 1930's there developed a movement to incorporate the area. As a result of the recognized need, Affton became incorporated as a village and employed a policeman and an assistant. However, the little city was doomed almost before it got started due to its inability to meet the financial responsibilities attached to the maintenance of police, court, sanitation and the other agencies of government. Thus, in 1935 the people of Affton voted to disincorporate and the area has remained without a local government ever since. Small areas within Affton have incorporated since for the purpose of protecting their own immediate sections. The greater part of Affton remains under the direct supervision of St. Louis County.
In spite of the failure to meet the needs of incorporation, the citizens recognized the need for community action for fire protection. The Affton Civic League and the Westbrook Fire Protective Association joined forces to canvass the area to raise the necessary funds for fire protection.
Through carnivals, dances and subscriptions the group was able to raise enough money to organize and maintain the Affton Fire Association, Inc. In April of 1946 the people of Affton took a further step when they elected to establish a fire protective district as set forth under the laws of Missouri. Thanks to the work of this small but dedicated group who recognized the need and worked toward its realization, we today have the fine Affton Fire District.
With the disappearance of the farms, the growth of the Affton area since 1945 is hard for anyone to visualize. It has just sprung up all over. Now in the 21^st Century most of the few remaining farms and landmarks of the Affton of Yesteryear have disappeared. The ice cream cone, that once stood in front of Velvet Freeze at Weber & Gravois, was restored by the Affton Fire Department & now stands in front of Mesnier Primary School. But even though the visible signs of their existence may be gone, the standard and habits they have set for us and for those of the future will shine to keep Affton the community we have all grown to love. The Federhofer's Bakery sign and the Phil's BBQ sign are both recognized by St. Louis County as historic signs.
Since 1998, when facade improvement money was available to businesses to make improvements with the money spent by the business being matched with grant money, many businesses along Gravois have made improvements. In 2003 Commerce Bank built a new building and in 2004, there was a noticeable increase in new buildings, as Pioneer Bank and Kenrick's Meat & Catering both put up new buildings. With a TIF (tax increment financing), renovations were started in Grasso Plaza with a St. Louis Bread Company opening in September and a Walgreens opened at year end. With a $1 million donation by Bill and Nancy Thompson, Affton School District graduates, a new Commons Building was added next to the existing the cafeteria, and thru wise investing of the funds from a previous tax increase, the school district was able to renovate the athletic fields and add lights to the football field, giving the community a place to meet on Friday nights. Residents are able to use the field when the school is not using it. After 9/11, the residents voted a tax increase for the Affton Fire District so they could build two new buildings and they were completed in 2004. In 2005, the Affton Elks built a new building and Cor Jesu Academy and Salem Lutheran Church both made significant new additions to their buildings. In 2006, Eagle Bank & Trust built a branch at 5721 S. Lindbergh, Gravois Auto Repair built an additional location at 10601 Tesson Ferry Rd., South Town Square Dialysis Clinic built a new building at 11107 So. Towne Sq., Quik Trip built at 9101 Gravois. Many commercial property owners have also made renovations to their buildings.
In 2005, MoDOT resurfaced Gravois Road before it became a "gravel road" again.