The Programs
FEATURE PROGRAM
Gratiot Street Prison and the Life and Times of Absalom Grimes
Learn what it is like to be a Confederate prisoner of war held right here in the City of St. Louis. Relive the experience through the words and mental pictures evoked by one of Gratiot Street Prison's former inmates as he relates the hardships of prison life and the absurdities of Civil War era justice. Hear how the people of St. Louis treated the prisoners and also of the life and seemingly unbelievable exploits of convicted Confederate spy Absalom Grimes.
ADDITIONAL PROGRAM
ABOLITIONIST!! The Life and Death of the Reverend Elijah P. Lovejoy
The Reverend Elijah P. Lovejoy was not from Missouri, or even the Midwest. His family never owned slaves. But he saw the “outright evil” of the slavery system here in St. Louis and grew to be appalled by its’ very existence. After the murder of a Free man of color in 1836 he could no longer hide his rage and spoke of it in his newspaper, The Observer. The result of these writing, and his uncompromising anti-slavery tone, was that both he and his printing press would meet with utter destruction.
FEATURE PROGRAM
FIRE!! St. Louis and the Great Fire of 1849
What started out as a beautiful May day in 1849 would, by dawn the next day, see the City of St. Louis become a smoldering ruin. Re-live this harrowing night and learn about the causes and effects of this devastating tragedy on the place we call home. You will also learn about the history, and the bravery, of the many volunteer Firemen who fought the blaze through the night and of the tragic yet heroic deed that finally saved the city from utter destruction.
ADDITIONAL PROGRAM
The Trail West
What motivated thousands of people to pack up everything they owned, say goodbye to loved ones’ whom they would never see again and start a 2400 mile journey into the relative unknown? Who went west and why, what perils and triumphs would they face along the way, what hardships would they encounter and over come? All of these questions are answered in this program. Told in the “second person” your students will learn all about the dangers and rewards of traveling the Oregon Trail with information on the infamous Donner Party included.
FEATURE PROGRAM
The Life and Times of Henry Shaw
Henry Shaw arrived in St. Louis in 1819 with the idea of selling cutlery. Little did he know that he was on the very cusp, the forefront of an economic boom that was to take place in St. Louis for the next 100 years! Henry was able to amass great wealth and “retires” at the age of 39 to travel the world. His is a fascinating story of wealth and all the trappings and unpleasantness that come with it. Henry Shaw was much more than a man who gave us The Garden. This presentation will show you just how much more there is to know.
ADDITIONAL PROGRAM
The Life and Times and Louis Rosche –“Steamboat Man” from St. Louis
On the night of his 12th birthday, young Louis Rosche crept slowly and quietly out of the home of his Aunt and Uncle, just a few blocks from the Mississippi River, and started the journey that would take him through the rest of his life. Hear first-hand what it was life working on the river in the Glory Days of Steamboat Races and the accompanying Explosions that often resulted; and about America’s “other” Gold Rush that took him north to Montana where other dangers awaited.