A native St. Louisan, Jim Merkel worked as a newspaper journalist in Pennsylvania for 16 years and St. Louis for more than 30 years. 

He has authored six books about St. Louis history. As a longtime fan of the Arch, it's no surprise his favorite book is The Making of an Icon: The Dreamers, the Schemers, and the Hard Hats Who Built the Gateway Arch. He’ll discuss the legends, lore, and spirit behind the creation of the Arch during his presentation. He will also talk about the first 60 years of the Gateway Arch and make some predictions about its future.

Can looking at our region’s past from Native American perspectives change our understanding of the St. Louis history? We’ll explore this concept with Flannery Burke, Associate Professor of History at Saint Louis University. Flannery’s research focuses on North American regional cultures and environments as well as the intersections of art, literature, and public policy. She is committed to sharing the Indigenous and Mexican cultures of the United States widely and incorporating those cultures and their histories into the regional, national, and global stories that scholars tell.

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (later named Gateway Arch National Park) was created on December 21, 1935, made possible by the newly enacted Historic Sites Act of 1935. This presentation, in honor of the Park’s 90th birthday, will cover the history of historic preservation in America and how it is reflected in the development of Gateway Arch National Park. Our presenter, Amanda Burke, is an Architectural Historian who currently serves as the Cultural Resource Manager and Compliance Coordinator at Gateway Arch National Park. She is a board member for Missouri Preservation, the statewide historic preservation non-profit.

Want to take a tour of the best attractions St. Louis has to offer? Let Amanda Doyle be your guide. Amanda will share her bucket list of things to do around town, helping you connect to the region in new ways. Whether you’re new to St. Louis or a long-time native, you’re bound to get a fresh take on many familiar spots as well as recommendations on some off-the-beaten locales you may not have heard of.

Amanda is the author of nine books for both kids and adults, from neighborhood guidebooks to a history of the civil rights struggle in St. Louis.

Although they began as one-time friends and colleagues, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas became bitter political rivals over the issue of slavery in their 1858 bid for the U.S. Senate seat in Illinois. Although Lincoln lost that election, their well-publicized debates launched him into national prominence, eventually leading to his election as President of the United States.

As a longtime middle school teacher and administrator, author Jan Jacobi aims to giving young adult readers a human portrait of Abraham Lincoln, which he will explore in this presentation. His first two Lincoln books each won Nautilus and Best of Illinois History Awards.

What can maps tell us about a city’s past? Come find out as we take a fascinating look at St. Louis history using maps as our guide. Author Andy Hahn’s book Mapping St. Louis charts the growth of our city from its founding in the 1760s to the present day, interweaving 40 maps along with short essays, detailed views, and captioned illustrations. He will discuss a selection of maps that highlight the city's rich history and spark ideas about where the city may be heading.

Andy is a 7th generation St. Louisan who has been passionate about history and maps since he was a kid. Since 2003, he has worked as director of the historic Campbell House Museum in downtown St. Louis.

What better season to learn about our town’s baseball history than April? Author Ed Wheatley traces St. Louis’ long love affair with “America’s favorite pastime” –from kids playing in farm fields and school yards to the sports heroes of the major leagues and Negro leagues.

Ed grew up in and around the world of baseball and continues to play in senior leagues across the country. As a leader of the St. Louis Browns Historical Society, he works to preserve the history and legacy of this transplanted American League team.

Come hear the rich and inspiring history of African Americans in St. Louis, ranging from the city’s founding as a French fur trading post through the Spanish colonial era to the new millennium. Authors Calvin Riley and NiNi Harris discuss their book Black St. Louis, which highlights great figures who showed leadership, incredible innovation, and courage despite the injustices they faced.

Calvin is an educator who, along with his wife, amassed a collection of Black memorabilia dating back 250 years, now on display at the George B. Vashon Museum of African American History. Nini has authored 18 books on St. Louis history, from explorations of historic neighborhoods and parks to volumes on immigrants and Black St. Louisans.

We’ve all heard of Route 66, but did you ever stop to think of all the women who worked along the 2,448-mile length of the most famous highway in the world? They pumped gas, ran for office, painted murals, joined the military, reported news, and designed buildings, theme parks, rockets, and toys. Just in time for this year’s 100th anniversary of the iconic Mother Road, author Cheryl Eichar Jett will examine the myriad roles women played along Route 66.

Cheryl is an award-winning author and playwright specializing in this unique niche of women’s history. Her new book just debuted this spring.

Once home to 20,000 residents, the close-knit African American neighborhood of Mill Creek Valley in downtown St. Louis was demolished in 1959, a victim of federal urban renewal policies. Nearly 70 years later, the children who once lived in the segregated working-class community share their stories in Vivian Gibson’s moving memoir. These former residents look back on their lives, revealing their resilience as children who witnessed the decline and eventual erasure of their neighborhood.

Vivian herself grew up in Mill Creek Valley. Her collection of stories reveals extraordinary lives of ordinary people. In addition to discussing her book, she will screen her recently produced documentary short, titled "Remembering Mill Creek: When We Were There."

When you think of the American Revolutionary War, the city of St. Louis probably doesn’t come to mind. Yet our small village was the site of the westernmost battle fought in the war, one that helped shape the destiny of our young nation. The 1780 Battle of Ft. San Carlos crushed Britain’s plans to take over St. Louis, thus spoiling its attempt to take control of the Mississippi River during the war.

Peter Kastor will explore this fascinating chapter from our city’s past. As a history professor at Washington University, he focuses on the half-century following American independence. He is also a scholar on the American Presidency.