Frank Preston Blair worked with Nathaniel Lyon to secure the arms at the Arsenal in 1861, and went on to a successful career fighting for the Union in the Civil War. He also was a statesman, and I find it interesting that the foundation who created this memorial chose to portray him in civilian clothing.
Perhaps the group wanted to shy away from his past as a Union general as a sop to Southern sympathizers in St. Louis?
Interestingly, after leaving the Republican Party, he was the Democratic VP candidate in 1868 and made some really virulent statements on black people – see the Wikipedia article on him…
Here’s a hundred-plus-year-old pic of cyclists from the STL chapter of the League of American Wheelmen posing by the Frank Blair statue before their STL County tour. (1892)”
http://i.imgur.com/JLhtj.jpg
Cool, thanks!