Another Cost of the Arch

While almost everybody talks about the beauty of the Arch, preservationists also say something was lost. Between 1939 and 1942, 37 blocks of historic buildings were leveled to make way for what would become the Arch grounds. At the time, they were eyesores at the city’s front door. But the preservationists say that with some loving care, they might have turned into a tourist district. Personally, I’d trade it for the Gateway Arch. But there were many other proposals for the land. Any of them would not have justified the loss of these treasures from the steamboat era. Starting with this post, I’ll run several pieces with pictures of what was lost.