It ALL happened right here. Every place has a story but to have a history is something special. To have a history that is tied up in the formation of legends of Americana is exceptional. I spent several weeks in this building as the guest of the St. Louis Police Department and the Juvenile Courts system. Nothing extraordinary or historic about that. However this building sits directly on the ground that was known in the day as Chestnut Valley. Among the many historic artifacts to come from this area was the song Frankie and Johnny, a memorialization of a true event that took place in the Chestnut Valley area in 1899. The area was the home of St. Louis Ragtime and the location for the W.C. Handy composition of the song “St.Louis, Blues” in the 1890’s. In addition, Pulitzer Prize winner (Joseph Pulitzer, other St. Louis boy makes good, story) Scott Joplin, lived and worked here in the early 1900‘s. Joplin was instrumental in the spreading of his signature music genre, ragtime, influencing many in the musical profession. This music style evolved into the musical form of Jazz, and later the Big Band era, finally being rediscovered by another generation in the movie The Sting in 1974. It ALL started on this site 120 years ago. THEN...and NOW
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 05:47:09 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015