More St. Louis Sidewalk Markers

This weekend I hit a lucky streak and found three sidewalk markers in the City of St. Louis that I had never come across before.  For some reason, in other cities I am able to spot these sidewalk stamps all over the place, but in St. Louis they’re able to elude me.  After this weekend, however, I am sure that there are many more out there.

Mayhew & Graham Granitoid - Laid 1899 St. Louis, MO

In the above photograph is my first spotting of the weekend.  It is located directly in front of the entrance to the St. Louis Braid Co. on Lucas Street, a location where I am sure it is appreciated.  On Google books I was able to find an advertisement for Mayhew & Graham in the 1896 publication, Water and Sewage Works, Volume 11.

Mayhew & Graham - Room 409 Commercial Building

According to an article in the same publication, Mayhew and Graham was reported as having “just completed a contract…for laying…eight miles of sidewalks in…Choteau Place”, referring to the Choteau Place Addition in the Greater Ville.

F.B. Klein Granitoid

This next sidewalk marker, from the F.B. Klein Granitoid Company, also has a little bit of history that can be traced via Google.  Located at 1424 Blair Avenue just north of Downtown, F.B. Klein was at least an occasional buyer of P.M. Bruner’s Granitoid according to the clipping below.

Bruner v. Klien

Ironically, just a few yards ahead of the F.B. Klein marker was a P.M. Bruner.

P.M. Bruner Granitoid

At this point I have come across many P.M. Bruner Sidewalk Markers (at least two different variations) and have seen even more in photographs on the internet.  His influence may spread at least as far as Seattle, as my speculative post from earlier this month suggests.

Granitoid Flagging

The above sidewalk marker, the last of my three new discoveries this weekend, is a very interesting example.  An intact, but otherwise identical, copy of this marker on DJDenim’s Flickr stream  shows the address on the sidewalk marker as 512 S. Jefferson Ave.  According to the American Engineering Register of 1885, the resident at the address was a Civil Engineer by the name of Bruner, P.M..   I wonder what it was about 512 S. Jefferson that made it so appealing to these men of Granitoid?

Stretch of Different Sidewalk Squares

This exercise of researching sidewalk contractors using Google demonstrates the ability of the search engine, and the value of the these remarkable links to the past.  As I learn more about this one aspect of cities, my overall understanding of their urban histories is increased as well. To see my entire collection of sidewalk contractor stamp/marker photos, visit this flickr map.  Locations are often only as specific as the city that the sidewalk is in, but are sometimes more accurate.

Update:

This afternoon I went up to The Ville and found three sidewalk markers that correspond with the 1896 article on Mayhew & Graham.

Mayhew & Graham - Laid 1896

Pretty cool, huh?

And here is a flickr set of all my St. Louis sidewalk marker photos.

About these ads