1. Historical Importance

Lucas and Garrison 1875 – An Intersection of Saint Louis Lives, Times and Places

This project is an ongoing independent historical study focused on a defined section of St. Louis represented on Plate 71 of the 1875 Compton and Dry Pictorial St. Louis maps. 

What began as an effort to document 104 residents named on Plate 71 of the Compton and Dry 1875 Topographical Survey of St. Louis has developed into a broader reconstruction of a neighborhood that reveals a remarkable concentration of civic leadership, cultural influence, and interconnected lives.

2. Why This Neighborhood Matters

Within this small geographic area in 1875:

• Multiple St. Louis mayors resided within a few blocks

• Residents included Civil War leaders, both Confederate and Union veterans

• A key contributor to the creation of the Missouri Botanical Garden

• A dense network of Protestant churches and clergy who shaped the moral and intellectual tone of the neighborhood

• Several industrial power brokers who helped define St. Louis

• Many influential Bankers, Financiers, and Insurance executives.

• Beautiful mansions were built to house the gentry of the city. None of those buildings still exist today.

This unique convergence makes the Lucas and Garrison neighborhood one of the most historically concentrated and underexplored neighborhoods in St. Louis.

3. Scope of Research

The project includes:

• Targeted profiles of the original 104 residents identified on Plate 71 and the historical storylines of their lives

• The development of "rabbit trails" that relate the story of St. Louis during this extraordinary era

• Study of:

  • Family networks

  • Professional affiliations

  • Institutional connections

  • Religious and civic influence

The goal is both selective storytelling and the creation of a comprehensive historical repository. Remarkably, of the first three groups researched, 45 residents and institutions, all 45 produced a significant historical storyline and spun off many city defining rabbit trails.

4. Research Methodology

Research is compiled using:

• The 1875 Compton and Dry Pictorial Topography of St. Louis

• Period newspapers

• City directories

• Census records

• Published histories

• Archival materials

• Cemetery and genealogical records

• Period photographs and graphics

• ChatGPT research assistance, encouragement and accountability.

Where possible, original 19th-century language and descriptions are preserved to maintain historical authenticity.

5. Ongoing Work and Structure

This is an active and expanding project. New information is added and historical corrections are made as they are discovered.

Current areas of focus include:

• Civic leadership (e.g., mayors of St. Louis)

• Civil War legacy within the neighborhood

• Scientific and cultural contributions (e.g., botanical development)

• Area business titans and industries.

• Religious institutions and clergy networks

Each area is developed both as individual studies and as part of a larger interconnected narrative.

6. Public Presentations

Research from this project has been shared through several presentations, including:

• “Five St. Louis Mayors Living on Plate 71 in 1875”

• “The Garrison Eleven - Eleven Neighbors Living on Garrison Who Had a Significant Impact on Saint Louis”

• “1875 Remnants of the Civil War in the Lucas and Garrison Neighborhood”

• “Two St. Louis Gentlemen – Henry Shaw and Dr. George Engelmann and the Creation of the Missouri Botanical Garden”

• “Lucas and Garrison Churches and Clergy” (in development)

Presentations are designed to make detailed historical connections accessible to a general audience while maintaining research depth.

7. Purpose of the Project

This work is guided by a simple principle:

To document, preserve, and share the lives and connections of individuals who shaped St. Louis, but whose stories are often fragmented or lost.

The project also reflects a broader belief:

Independent historical research can contribute meaningfully to the understanding of a city’s past when it is carefully developed and openly shared and can help to sculpt a more mutually beneficial present and future.

8. About the Curator

Bill Wichman
Independent Researcher and Website Developer

Creator of the Lucas and Garrison project, focused on reconstructing the historical landscape of St. Louis in 1875 through detailed, targeted, resident-based study.

The work progress is being developed and curated on its website:
lucasandgarrison.com

Additional history projects:

Preserved Wisdom - The history and sermon archive of Central Presbyterian Church
Webster Groves Historic Homes - Eight audio guided walking tours through the neighborhoods of Webster Groves
Laclede Groves Chapel - A consideration of the sacred, historic artifacts of the Laclede Groves Chapel