I found these cool images in the collection of the Missouri History Museum collections and I wasn’t sure how to use them other than just to present them to you here! Julius Hutawa is normally associated with map making in St. Louis. These are the two churches on the block of land where the Old Cathedral is today. The old legend is that this is the only piece of land that has never been sold in the entire history of St. Louis, and that is apparently true, but if you want to be technical, ownership has transferred many times. When there was a new bishop or archbishop, ownership would be deeded over from the old to the new guy every time. So every archbishop would personally own all archdiocesan property in St. Louis! That ended in the 1970s or so when the Archdiocese realized how awkward that was and just created a legal entity that owned all Church property in trust.
In October 1832, when the brothers Julius and Edward Hutawa arrived, it is believed that only eight Germans were living in the growing City of St. Louis. These immigrants were members of the so-called Berlin Society, the first organized German emigration group to the new state of Missouri. They first settled on land paid for by the groups’ founder, the Baron von Bock of Mecklenberg, Germany, who named and platted Dutzow, Missouri, after his estate named Dutzow in Germany. After Bock arrived in 1833, he would pay each of the Berlin society members for their help in establishing the settlement. The young Hutawa brothers were both trained surveyors and would relocate to St. Louis. There the brothers developed their firm at 7 South Third Street, where Julius was the engraver and Edward the lithographer. By 1844, Edward’s work won a highly recognized award from the State of Missouri, making his map the first official map of our state.
In 1847, Edward would die in a tragic accident while surveying, and initially buried in the Catholic cemetery near the Old Cathedral. His brother Julius Hutawa would not only continue to run the business but would care for his brother’s widow and her children. Julius was also involved in the City’s plans for a beautiful new cemetery, which was taking shape five miles outside of the City, based on the new Rural Cemetery movement. Led by banker William McPherson, the Trustees of the Association purchased 138 acres north of the city, including the Hempstead family farm with its family graveyard. With graves dating back to 1817, this is the oldest portion of the cemetery. The new Cemetery would be the first such cemetery west of the Mississippi and was initially called the Rural Cemetery Association. They would bring in the esteemed landscape architect named Almerin Hotchkiss to design the Cemetery, and Julius Hutawa would be the engraver of the first “map” of the Cemetery. The map offered ‘the Tour’ showing the most prestigious burial lots sold at that time. This map was shared with the public at the Cemetery’s dedication on May 15, 1850. The dedication brought together the City’s leaders who had the wisdom and foresight to incorporate the Rural Cemetery as Bellefontaine Cemetery. Over the next 22 years the cemetery would purchase additional land, including a part of John O’Fallon’s estate, which today totals 314 acres. Both brothers, their families, and their wives’ families are laid to rest at Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum.
I was Baptized in 1949 at5 the Stl Cathedral. Lots of history in St Louis. I grew up across the River in CAhokia IL also a Historic place albiet not hwat it once was anymore.