I’ve long been intrigued but sort of flummoxed by the industrial valley that lies along the Middle River Des Peres Valley, paralleled by Manchester Avenue, which is really the second, or “New” Manchester Road, which replaced the “Old” one, now signed as Southwest Avenue.

There was and is industry, but it was never “cool” industry like Anheuser-Busch or Magic Chef. It seems to have largely been brick and terracotta, which many people and myself think is cool, but the lack of large signs on the present buildings perhaps makes it more anonymous.

And there’s of course industry, such as lead smelting, which while it still serves its purpose in today’s world, is something that I think we’re all happy doesn’t occur in the middle of our city.

Perhaps residents of the Hill are most aware of the industry and its train tracks when their commute is blocked by the at-grade rail crossings that still exist along this stretch.

And that industry, which horribly polluted the River des Peres, along with flooding, is what led to one of the largest civil engineering projects in St. Louis. Whatever was being burned along with coal in those furnaces wouldn’t make water taste good!

I learned this bridge was once part of the brick making industry, used to cross over the river back when the clay-related industry was at its heighth.

Moving further to the southwest, we see Maplewood at the top of the image, and the less developed City to bottom.

The bridges were decidedly less permanent than the ones that are there now!

There also was a quarry along with other businesses along the river that were disrupted once construction of the drainage system commenced, which you can see below.