Originally I thought these turn of the century streetcar shelters at the front gates of some of the most exclusive private streets in the inner ring of St. Louis were for businessmen going downtown, until I was politely corrected by colleagues and informed that these were actually for their hired help.
I particularly like the Brentmoor and Forest Ridge shelters; flanking Wydown and Big Bend, they form an almost ceremonial gateway to Clayton.
This is anecdotal, mind, but…
Many (and several more ‘manys’) years ago, after passing a couple of these shelters, I asked my Dad what they were, thinking at the time that they were neat little playhouses for the neighborhood kids (Hey, I was a hoosier from Kirkwood, so what did I know?)’
He gave me the same answer as you posted, and also said that the “neighborhood kids” always received stern warnings from their parents to NEVER wait in those shelters at the same time as “those people.”
They were told to “just wait back away from the shelters until the next streetcar came along,” which was, in those days, every 10 or 15 minutes in the City.
Nowadays I wonder about that, as in their houses, the kids mingled with “those people” ? ? ?
Did you go into the “Clayton Jail” that you might have over looked while you were there checkn these spots out?
What is the ‘Clayton Jail?” I’m interested.