Far out in western St. Louis County are the remnants of past industries, towns and plantations. The hamlet of Centaur, now just a part of Chesterfield, is one such example of a place where people lived and worked in greater numbers than now.
The large building sitting near the tracks appears to be an old station or hotel that is still in relatively good condition. According to the Chesterfield city website, the town was founded around the Centaur Lime Company, now long defunct.
Update: Old Slave Road’s name dates to the 1970s, and commemorates the location of a slave cemetery on the land of the former Long Plantation. In 2022, there was renewed efforts to change the name of the road.
And finally, perhaps the most mysteriously named road in St. Louis County, Old Slave Road. Most logically, the name–which is not signed at the road’s intersection with Wild Horse Creek Road–denotes a place where a plantation existed or freed slaves once lived.
I just drove through Centaur for the first time a month ago. I had driven Eatherton Rd. many times and never detoured through Centaur but it was worth it. The following link contains photos of the old Centaur depot. I enjoy reading your blog, especially your posts on little known or out of the way places.
I used to work with a lot of maps on behalf of an insurance company. "Old Slave Rd" is one of the nicer throwback street names I've come across.There is a "Hanging N***** Rd" in Allegheny County, PA. And a "N****** Skull Rd" Somewhere in GA. No idea if they're marked as such on the street.
I was born at Centaur Sation in a little house that is no longer standing. I was born at home in 1940. My father was a cook at the ccc camp nearby.
How interesting! What was the CCC Camp?
The CCC was Civilian Conservation Corps that was one of the Federal programs that provided jobs to bring the country out of the Great Depression.
I was just thinking of the CCC’s efforts while hiking at Babler! I do like that some of their efforts are still in use today locally.