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Our research group on our visit to Sk8 Liborius. Photo taken by Emmeline Wendel.

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Our trip to Sk8 Liborius was one of both awe and sadness. We were unable to go inside, but we marveled at the beautiful architecture and historic cornerstones of the church and surrounding buildings. In the midst of our enjoyment, we were heartbroken to see the sheer amount of abandoned buildings in the area. Modern development is often side by side with crumbling lots. The modern neighborhood around St. Liborius is now made up of mostly black families and is distressingly underfunded. Tragically, the area is again facing destruction for corporate profit. In 2017, the city bulldozed many buildings in the neighborhood to make way for the new site of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Of the 551 parcels purchased by the city, only 136 were intact, 88 were inhabited, and 44 were acquired through eminent domain (Garb). Many residents are enraged at the decision of city officials to replace their community with hundreds of square feet of high security office spaces and parking lots, but in spite of their protest, the damage is already done, and ground was broken on the site in 2019.

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It is known based on historical records that the majority of German immigrants to St. Louis came from Rhineland, Westphalia, and Hanover. The first of these immigrants in 1830 would have been among those inspired by the publications of Gottfried Duden, who had lived on a farm west of St. Louis before returning to Germany to tell of his experiences. He wrote glowing reports of the “fertile, abundant, and inexpensive” (Faherty 2) pastoral land available in Missouri. Spurred by conflicts and widespread famine in Germany, more and more immigrants arrived in St. Louis. Between 1848 and 1850 alone, over 34,000 Germans settled in the city (Ritter 15). This influx of immigrants threatened nativists in the city, who were increasingly suspicious of Catholic loyalty to the Pope and of German and Irish drinking culture. The tension culminated in the Election Riot of 1852 and the Know-Nothing Riot of 1854, in which disputes of elections and polling were the cause. Both riots led to the targeting of Irish and German churches and businesses, including taverns and newspapers (Ritter 128).

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The Journey to the Heart Land: How and Why 3 Immigrant Communities Built Community in St. Louis

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The Journey to the Heart Land: How and Why 3 Immigrant Communities Built Community in St. Louis

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This past year, Cloe Johnson, Sarah Washburn, and Emmeline Wendel all got accepted to the Melon HILL Grant to conduct a research project in St. Louis. The Melon HILL Grant provides funding for Kalamazoo College students to conduct place-based research that grounds research in sites with important cultural and historical significance.

After many days of brainstorming, we chose to focus our research on immigrant communities in St. Louis. Our research centers on how Chinese, German, and Irish immigrants constructed/construct community spaces in the city to make themselves feel at home in a foreign and often unfriendly environment, specifically from late 19th century to present day.

In group discussions, we decided to center our project on the Chinese, Irish, and German immigrant communities in St. Louis because they are connected to our own stories and families.

For Emmeline Wendel, learning about the Chinese immigrant communities in the U.S. are especially important because she is a Mainland Chinese immigrant and adoptee. This research project is one way she creates community within her ethnic identity and learns about her heritage.

Cloe Johnson was drawn to study German immigration in St. Louis because of the boom in the 1840s to 1860s. She was interested to see how these immigration patterns influenced the cultural heritage of St. Louis and how the myth of “the American Dream” influenced these immigrants' decisions to come to the U.S. and St. Louis.

Sarah Washburn was interested in the Irish community in St. Louis, particularly their architecture, religious spaces, and participation in Victorian culture. This project aided in expanding her knowledge of immigration in the mid-19th century, as well as the importance of community and space to immigrant groups. Visiting St. Louis was extraordinarily important when looking at the architecture and religious spaces of this group and others.

During our research before the trip, our discoveries while in St. Louis, and our reflections, research, and communications after the trip, we found all three communities connect through themes of creation, damage, and perseverance.

Immigrants to St. Louis created vibrant and diverse communities centered around their cultural identities. Through the homes, restaurants, businesses, and religious spaces that they established, immigrants in St. Louis created a lasting effect on the people and places that occupy St. Louis to this day. Our sites of research, Corner 17, the Campbell house, and St. Liborius, along with the neighborhoods that they represent, Hob Alley, Lucas Place, and the community at Eighteenth St., present a unique opportunity to study and appreciate the cultural spaces of immigrants in St. Louis.

In the late twentieth century, Urban Renewal projects in the city of St. Louis caused an almost unprecedented amount of damage to the physical spaces that many of its thriving cultural communities established. The neighborhoods that we studied were no different. The homes and businesses of Hop Alley were destroyed in favor of a sports stadium. The beautiful historic homes of St. Louis were replaced with industrial buildings, and the community that occupied the church of St. Liborius was so irrevocably split that we don't know what they called their neighborhood.

In spite of their extreme hardships, both past and present, we want our project to be a celebration of these communities. The Wei family of Corner 17 is running a thriving restaurant business, preserving their cultural heritage as they do so; St. Liborius still serves as a physical monument to the successes of the German Catholics in the area; and the historic home of the Campbells has been turned into a museum that cherishes the Irish heritage of the family. We hope that we can use our research as a lens through which we can preserve the history and honor the successes and continued perseverance of the Chinese, German, and Irish immigrants in St. Louis.

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Beginning as early as 1849, during the Californian Gold Rush, Chinese immigrants traveled to the USA. The construction of Chinese communities and Chinatowns slowly grew, most recognizably in New York City and San Franscisco. Chinese immigrants continued to come in waves and find economic opportunities in the US.  However, these immigrants were met with many challenges once they made the journey.

Throughout the history of Chinese immigration into the US, particularly from 1882 to 1948, many individuals were barred from seeing their family, experienced cruel, racist attacks, and were forced into certain business sectors, such as tenuous jobs like building the Transatlantic Railroad, in the restaurant business, and in laundry mats.

Racially based exclusion in immigration laws and practices were also common and changed frequently with the courts. One notable case, People v. Hall 4 Cal 399, was the California Supreme Court, in 1854, ruled "that a Chinese could not testify against a Caucasian man in court." (Jiao, 2022) This court case, along with other hostile encounters and events led many Chinese immigrants to move to the heartland, or Mid-West, to find save haven and capitalize on economic and business opportunities.

St. Louis, Missouri, was one prominent place for the Chinese immigrant community. Various economic opportunities were the biggest pull factor because the city residents not only benefitted from trading by land but also through the Mississippi River, making St. Louis a bustling, prominent city. Immigrants also benefitted from moving to St. Louis because many Chinese businesses had not opened or were new, so their competition was lower.

Despite creating space to practice, celebrate, and preserve their ethnic identity, the Chinese immigrant community struggled with their public image and racially motivated assumptions. Many Chinese immigrants of that time fit the following demographic: Chinese male, living alone. Dangerous assumptions were spread about these men, but the reason this demographic was very common was because the journey from (mainly) Hong Kong or another Chinese port cities to the U.S. using legal routes and Chinese snakes (immigration guides) was very expensive. The financial barrier forced many families to separate and rest all their hope on the main male figure in the family to settle and find stable work before inviting the rest of the family over.

It was only until 1965 when immigration laws opened wider. Immigration laws of the time ran on quotas which allowed a select number of individuals entry, but this system changed when China joined the allied forces in World War II.  The Federal Supreme Court ruled 170,000 people could come to the U.S. if they resided outside of the Western hemisphere (or 20,000 per country).

In response to this legal change, many Chinese immigrants sought out green cards to reconnect with family or applied for green cards for themselves. Due to this huge legal change, two prominent waves of Chinese immigrants arrived in the U.S. and continued through the 20th century, notably during the 1960s and 1980s.

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German Immigration during the Colonial Period

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German Immigration during the Colonial Period

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As official immigration figures were not kept in the U.S. until 1820 (Heubner 61), it is difficult to track the number of German immigrants who came to the United States before the nineteenth century This does not, however, mean that German immigration was non-existent. There were a number of Germans living in the colonies, especially in settlements in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, New Amsterdam (later to become New York), the Carolinas, and Georgia (Rippley 23-28). By the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, it is estimated that about 225,000 Germans lived in the colonies (Rippley 29). Many Germans were sympathetic to the American cause during the revolution and, although precise figures are unavailable, several German regiments were raised to fight for the new United States (Rippley 33).

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The nineteenth century saw a vast increase in German immigration, with more than 5,000,000 arriving in total between 1820 and 1900 (Huebner 134). There was massive growth throughout the periods between 1840 and 1890, with the largest spikes occurring in the mid-1850s and mid-1880s (Rippley 75). The predominant causes for German immigration in the mid-to-late 1900s were economic factors. Compared to the overcrowded and overpopulated cities and agricultural areas in Germany, many immigrants eagerly sought the abundant, cheap, and fertile lands advertised by propaganda of the Western Frontier. Additionally, widespread famine in the 1840s and 50s and industrial growth in the 1880s causing unemployment were major drivers for German immigration to the U.S. (Rippley 74, 82, Huebner 134).

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Chinese Immigrant Population in St. Louis

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Chinese Immigrant Population in St. Louis

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The Chinese, male immigrant population mostly arrived in St. Louis from Westcoast cities, but some immigrants (mostly women and children) moved directly to St. Louis from China around late 19th century. Many of them had heard of the prosperous economic opportunities and planned to capitalize on them.

During this time up until mid-20th century, the Chinese immigrant community was located downtown on the 7th and 8th streets from Walnut to Market. Most immigrants lived in tenant housing and worked wherever they could find a job.

Near the tenant houses, the Chinese immigrant community also created a Chinatown called Hop Alley.

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It is known based on historical records that the majority of German immigrants to St. Louis came from Rhineland, Westphalia, and Hanover. The first of these immigrants in 1830 would have been among those inspired by the publications of Gottfried Duden, who had lived on a farm west of St. Louis before returning to Germany to tell of his experiences. He wrote glowing reports of the “fertile, abundant, and inexpensive” (Faherty 2) pastoral land available in Missouri, prompting many Germans to emmigrate to escape hardships in their homeland. Spurred by conflicts and widespread famine in Germany, more and more immigrants arrived in St. Louis. Between 1848 and 1850 alone, over 34,000 Germans settled in the city (Ritter 15).

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Irish Immigration to St. Louis, 19th Century

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Irish Immigration to St. Louis, 19th Century

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Irish immigrants came to the United State in search for refuge and opportunity. Escaping the English and the famine drew in masses of Irish immigrants, and new developing cities, like St. Louis, allowed them to start new communities instead of simply acclimating into much older city atmospheres (Fenske). When the Irish first arrived in the 1840s, they settled in Kerry Patch, which blossomed into a close-knit, culturally-lush environment for immigrants to stay. Due to urban reformation and reconstruction, St. Louis' "Dogtown" is more commonly known as the city's Irish-specific place (Part I).

Despite creating these spaces for themselves, Irish immigrants were not comfortably accepted into the demanding Victorian middle class of the time. In fact, there were great disdain for Irish and German immigrants during the mid-19th century, as well as for other immigrants/individuals of color. The polarization imposed by the Victorian middle class was detrimental to immigrant spaces and connection, which only makes the Campbell House and story more intriguing.

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Hop Alley was a small Chinatown located near the tenant houses in downtown St. Louis from 1869 to 1966.

Specifically, Hop Alley was identified as the area between 7th and 8th streets from Walnut to Market. This alley held deep lessons, memories, and values connected to Chinese family, immigration, and culture.

Hop Alley encompassed many Chinese owned businesses, similar to the ones of the West Coast, but one significant business was the On Leong Merchants and Business Association, the primary social space for the community. This business made a safe haven for Chinese immigrants and "helped (them) with language barriers and American customs difficulties, handling immigration matters, assisting business or personal affairs and alliances for resolving disputes and starting new businesses(.)" (Jiao, 2022) The association also helped merchants prevent competition, solve disputes fairly, and connect with city officials.

Hop Alley may have small due to the poor financial state of many immigrants, but the love and strength for and within the community only grew.

Unfortunately, Hop Alley was destroyed by the city of St. Louis in an urban renewal project. They replaced this cultural landmark with Busch Stadium on May 12, 1966. Since then, like many other communities of color, the Chinese community has faced displacement time after time due to city urban renewal projects, real estate sales, among other reasons.

Now, the Chinese community can be found scattered across St. Louis because they were forced to move and create homes and businesses where they could afford, but strong Chinese owned businesses draw in Chinese international students and the city community.

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Map of Hop Alley_ Missouri History Museum

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Picture of Corner 17 form the outside. Courtesy of Restaurant Guru.

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Corner 17, an authentic Chinese restaurant in St. Louis, is owned by the Wei family. The restaurant celebrates Chinese culture through the 100+ dishes listed on the menu, community events such as celebrating traditional holidays, and the Wei family's recipes, traditions, and love.

Although new to St. Louis (opened in 2013), the Wei family has a long history in the restaurant business and strive to create a home away from home for restaurant goers, out-of-towners, and newly arrived immigrants. Corner 17 does just that while keeping family as a core pillar to the restaurant.

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Fire Map of 6623 Delmar Boulevard from 1920s to 1950s. Photo courtesy of Missouri Historical Society Archives.

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What establishment was located in Corner 17 before the restaurant? 

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What establishment was located in Corner 17 before the restaurant? 

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Before the opening of Corner 17 (at 6623), Delmar Boulevard did not have restaurants of various Asian cuisines. Rather, the block was a business sector, and the block signified (and continues to identify) the city's resource division plans.

If you talk to any St. Louisianan, Delmar Boulevard is widely known for separating the inner and outer city parts of St. Louis. The inner city is well kept up and filled with tourist attractions, restaurants, and stores. The outer city part is characterized as unkept and under resourced and correlates with neighborhoods where Black people, among other people of color, live. The division of resources is drawn with Delmar Boulevard, and the block has become a living memory of the unjust dispersal and destruction of immigrant communities.

In this fire map, on the bottom, Delmar Boulevard is labelled, and 6623 is circled in yellow. The map shows storage units used to stand there, starting around 1920s to 1950s.

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SanBorn_Delmar Boulevard Corner 17 history

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The close-knit Wei family embrace in a photo filled with smiles after opening Corner 17. Courtesy of Mr. Xin Wei.

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The Wei family of four pose for a photo after successfully opening Corner 17 four years ago. Far left stands Mr. Wei's older sister who sacrificed many of her own opportunities and showed strong support for Mr. Wei. Center left in the photo stands Mr. Wei's mother who contributed many of her recipes to Corner 17. Center right is Mr. Wei's father who organized and fostered community by opening his arms and family recipes to the St. Louis community, and far right stands business owner and a community leader inside and outside of his restaurant, Mr. Xin Wei.

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From One Corner to Another: The Wei Family's Journey to St. Louis

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From One Corner to Another: The Wei Family's Journey to St. Louis

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Xin Wei was born in Fuzhou, Fujian, China, into a loving family, of two parents and an older sister, who shared a bright future.

Growing up, the Wei family struggled financially and hoped for change. In their town, they heard about the American dream and how many individuals pursued their dreams before. Mr. Wei's father hoped he too could achieve his American dream of financial stability through owning his own restaurant.

Mr. Wei's father decided to pave the way for the family to immigrate to the U.S., so in 1999, he said farewell to his family. Between 1999 and 2003, Mr. Wei's father traveled between the states looking for a stable income and job, similar to his profession as a chef, to support his family. It was in Belleville, Illinois, where Mr. Wei's father found a job helping at Bamboo Valley Chinese Buffet. After accepting the job, he applied for green cards for Mr. Wei's mother, sister, and Mr. Wei.

In 2003, when Mr. Wei was 17 years old, his family and him received green cards and joined his father in Belleville. When they arrived, no one in the family spoke English, nor did they know anyone in the states.

Mr. Wei recalls, unlike today, there were no organizations or places that welcomed or supported newly arrived immigrants, so Mr. Wei needed to support his family. He not only attended Belleville East High School and studied for his classes, but he studied English and worked shifts after school and during the weekends. He also remembers that the Chinese immigrant community was smaller, and the only spaces where Chinese immigrants visited were the Chinese grocery stores.

Building community and making friends were hard for the Wei family, but it was especially hard for Mr. Wei while attending high school. Most American students would give him weird looks, isolating him to eat lunch and spend breaks alone. Students even called him "Chinaman" furthering the racial and social division and driving Mr. Wei into depression. The high school did little to foster inclusive community spaces and did not offer any interpreter for support.

However, Mr. Wei began to grow community through his work at the restaurant and eventually left high school after two years to attend Southwest Illinois College and gain his associate degree. He continued his academic pursuits at University of Missouri St. Louis.

At University of Missouri St. Louis, Mr. Wei found a strong community of international Chinese students from the International Chinese Student Organization. This community was the first group where he felt included and comfortable.

With the support of his family, Mr. Wei graduated in 2009 and began working for his master's at Washington University until graduation in 2019.

The Wei family also built community through the Bamboo Valley Chinese Buffet. Together, as a family and with the other workers, they celebrated Chinese customs and traditions such as the traditional holidays like Lunar New Year, Moon Cake Festival, and Dragon Boat Festival. The Wei family saw the restaurant as a way to build community, so in 2007, with Mr. Wei's father's dream and all their savings, they opened Tian Tian Chinese Buffet in Ozark, Alabama. Sadly, the restaurant did not get great business and ended up closing.

After the buffet closed, the family returned to Bamboo Valley Chinese Buffet to work and saved for three years. With those savings and support from friends and family, the Wei family opened the Joy Luck Chinese Buffet in 2010. With the success of the restaurant, Mr. Wei decided to leave his job as a bank counter to run the restaurant.

However, the family decided to close the restaurant, and in 2013, they opened Corner 17. A few years passed and the Wei family profited from wonderful business with Corner 17, so they sold Joy Luck Chinese Buffet in 2019.

Corner 17, located at 6623 Delmar Boulevard in St. Louis, Missouri, is now a thriving restaurant where community and familial culture and recipes are the center of celebration.

The menu at Corner 17 can be found at the link below:
Corner 17 Chinese Restaurant (corner17usa.com)

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Often, customers will come in and ask us about the name "Corner 17". To be honest, it is a story that I had never formalized. Corner 17 is special to our family, as it is our comeback story, since our previous restaurant failed in 2007. Corner 17 means family, growth, and dreams, I say this because this is the American dream our family worked so hard for. My sister Rachel and I were raised in poverty in rural China in the 1980's, and from a young age, we had to get up early to go pick flowers from the jasmine fields in an attempt to earn a little extra money for our family. Our parents were always working, so we had to look after Cher as well. Since we lived well below the poverty line, we didn't have much on the table to be shared. I vividly remember we had a guest over for dinner one time, and how I felt so embarrassed about what little food was had to offer on our table. That was the moment when I felt a responsibility to improve our living condition. When I was 17 years old, my family moved to the United States, where we embarked on a new difficult journey. I will forever be grateful to my sister Rachel, who put her life on hold, working tirelessly to put me through college. At that age I had no interest in owning a restaurant, so once I graduated I got a 9 to 5 job, but even with my new job, I wasn't unable to make enough to improve my family's living conditions. The thing is, my parents always wanted to open our own family restaurant, so we decided to take a chance. Eventually after years and years of saving, we saved enough money and pulled out loans to buy Joy Luck Buffet, that point is where my passion for restaurant owning truly began. We all felt joy from creating and sharing family recipes with you. Corner 17 is more than a restaurant, Corner 17 is a platform where we can share food and culture that we love with the people of St. Louis. So the name "Corner 17" is a reminder and a nod to the age I was when I came to America, and from that moment I embarked on a huge turning point in my life and I am forever grateful to have my family stand by me at every corner of the battle. -much love C17

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Often, customers will come in and ask us about the name 'Corner 17 '. To be honest, it is a story that I had never formalized. Corner 17 is special to our family, as it is our comeback story, since our previous restaurant failed in 2007.

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A sweet snapshot of a proud family and Mr. Wei, an accomplished college graduate, in 2009. Courtesy of Mr. Xin Wei.

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Mr. Xin Wei and Family at College Graduation

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Mr. Xin Wei and Family at College Graduation

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Huge smiles are shared as the Wei family celebrates Mr. Wei's undergraduate college graduation from University of Missouri St. Louis. This photo was taken around the same time when the family worked at Bamboo Valley Chinese Buffet in Belleville, Illinois, just before they opened their first restaurant. Mr. Wei's educational success not only marks an exciting new chapter for himself, but the year marks big changes for the entire family.

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Here poses Mr. Wei and friend in Fuzhou, Fujian Province. Courtesy of Mr. Xin Wei and @Corner17 Instagram.

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Before moving to the USA, Mr. Wei worked to support his family. He could be found tending to jasmine fields.

This moment captures an important reminder for Mr. Wei, never forget your past. This lesson has held a strong pillar in the Wei family as life drastically changed once moving to the U.S.... The lesson provides reasoning to keep striving for their dreams while honoring their past, experiences, and heritage.

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Mr Wei working in Jasmine Fields in China before immigrating to USA

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Some dishes highlighted on Corner 17's business website. Courtesy of Mr. Xin Wei.

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There is no denying that Corner 17 has the best authentic Chinese food in St. Louis! However, when you visit, how do you select the few dishes to order and enjoy from hundreds?

Here on Corner 17's business website, Mr. Xin Wei shares photos of popular dishes. Make sure to check out the full menu at the "Online Order" tab!

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Fire Map of Delmar Boulevard estimated from 1920s to 1950s

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Fire Map of Delmar Boulevard estimated from 1920s to 1950s

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A Corner of Chinese Cultural Celebration and Community

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A Corner of Chinese Cultural Celebration and Community

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Many people ask the Wei family about the meaning behind the name, but the restaurant's name is not the only aspect that honors the family.

Corner 17 was born in 2013 and named very intentionally. Mr. Wei shares a perfect explanation for its meaning, "We want people to be able to find us at every "Corner" place when folks travel to a new city. For those who are newly moved to the USA, Corner 17 will be their first stop to get their home taste." Mr. Wei also states that 17 is a significant number because he was just 17 years old when he came to the USA. If it was not evident by the welcoming messages and flavorful dishes from the Wei family, Corner 17 is a community that welcomes everyone.

Corner 17 also honors the family by creating a home away from home with the family recipes used for multiple dishes. Recipes provided by Mr. Wei's mother are used for the bao buns, wantons, among other dishes boiling with family secrets and love.

As a favorite restaurant to many and second home for others, the Wei family's love and cultural heritage show a deep connection to an important lesson for the family. Mr. Wei shares that his parents would often remind his sister and him of this lesson, "Don't ever forget where you came from. No matter the future, no matter the current moment. Don't forget your past."

Corner 17 definitely emulates this message and celebrates the strong family and Chinese immigrant community behind it.

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Captured in this stunning photo are five moon cakes from Corner 17's celebration of Moon Cake Festival. Courtesy by Mr. Xin Wei and @Corner17 Instagram

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These ornate moon cakes are part of Corner 17's and the Wei family's traditions during the Moon Cake Festival. The Wei family enjoys sharing this special holiday food with customers in an annual giveaway.

Check out @Corner17 on Instagram to follow the community and possibly win these moon cakes!

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Mr. Xin Wei's parents deep in concentration while delicately folding bao buns. Courtesy of Mr. Xin Wei and @Corner17 Instagram.

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Family is a crucial part to business for the Wei family and Corner 17. In this photo, Mr. Wei's parents showcase the art of filling and folding bao buns.

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Sara Washburn and Cloe Johnson sitting in Corner 17 deciding what to order. Courtesy of researcher Emmeline Wendel.

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One of our research days the group decided to visit Corner 17!

At the restaurant, we were met by kind workers and invited to join the line of customers. Shortly after we had entered the cue and bought boba tea, we were seated and given giant menus.

The choices were immaculate, but the going ons in the kitchen were even more intriguing. One worker hand shaved noodles from a block into boiling water; while another worker stretched the dough for a new block. On the opposite side of the kitchen, a group of workers scooped spiced filling into circular dumpling dough pieces and finished by folding up the dumpling.

The energy and food were joyful and filled with contentment after eating, and at the end of the meal, we all wished we could return to taste the whole menu!

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Pictured here are the numerous dishes we ordered. Courtesy of researcher Emmeline Wendel.

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The dishes pictures above are the following: spinach dyed, handmade dumplings (top left), vegetarian peanut hand-shaven noodles (center right), side of bok choy (center left), and spicy chili wantons (bottom right).

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What does the future of Corner 17 look like for the family and for dedicated restaurant goers?

Mr. Wei assures that Corner 17 is here to stay, and he continues by sharing his family's ambition to open another Corner 17 in the future.

From twirling noodles, folded dumplings, and wafting smells of the secret spice mixtures, watch out for another Corner 17 opening soon!

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Germans in St. Louis through the lens of St. Liborius

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Germans in St. Louis through the lens of St. Liborius

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Since nearly the dawn of widespread European presence in North America, German immigrants have been arriving in search of a better life. They built farms, businesses, industries, and communities that continue to have a lasting impact today. St. Liborius began its life as a church and community space for German-Catholic immigrants to St. Louis and their descendants in the mid-nineteenth century. In its over 130-year existence, the church has almost continuously been a home for community and culture, serving first as a religious gathering place, then as a homeless shelter, and now as a skate park and place of expression for the urban youth of North St. Louis. In the face of prejudice, Urban Renewal, modern development, and literal flames, the church still serves as a monument to the power of community spaces in the preservation and creation of cultural identity.

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Two young girls posing in German folk dress. Photo taken May 10, 1931. Image courtesy of Missouri Historical Society Photography and Print Department.

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This image features Norma Rothenbuecher and Anita Saussele posing for photos of a production put on by the German House at 2345 Lafeyette Avenue. The German House was constructed in 1928 to provide a meeting and perfomance hall for the numerous German-American members of the St. Louis Community. The above photo is especially striking because of the perserverance that it represents. The German-Americans of this community were passing on their traditional folk culture on to their children, ensuring that another generation would remember their roots in the vibrant German immigrant culture of St. Louis.

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A group in traditional German dress. Photo taken August 28, 1932. Image courtesty of Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center.

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This group of young people is celebrating the St. Louis Schwabenfest held in Triangle Park at 4100 South Broadway. Swabia is a region in the southwestern German state of Bavaria with its own cultural and linguistic identity. That this festival celebrates a specific German culture shows a desire to hold onto distinct historical and cultural identities for German-Americans in St. Louis.

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It is nearly impossible to know what the congregation of St. Liborius would have called the neighborhood in which they made their homes and community. Perhaps they simply identified themselves by the name of their parish. They may also have used the name which colloquially referred to the area between the churches of St. Josephs and Most Holy Trinity, which by 1855 had such a great population of German Catholics that it became known as "Little Paderborn." The parish at St. Liborius was established in the center of these churches precisely because the population in the area was outgrowing its parent churches. Another possibility is that the congregation of St. Liborius considered itself among the community in Bremen. The small town was platted in 1844 by a group of German immigrants from Westphalia and Hanover. It was absorbed into St. Louis in 1855 and its approximate borders are located only a few blocks away from the location of St. Liborius. The church built in Bremen in 1848 was called Holy Trinity and was the precursor to the Holy Trinity church that became a boundary of Little Paderborn (Faherty 21). The map above shows the locations of St. Liborius, Most Holy Trinity Church, St. Joseph's (at N 11th and Biddle), and the estimated boundaries of Bremen at E Grand Ave., Dock St., and N 20th St. (Mound City: Hyde Park). There is a clear overlap in the locations of Bremen and the churches which made up the area of Little Paderborn. As both communities included immigrants from Westphalia, it is possible that they felt a sense of community with each other and that the congregation of St. Liborius would have considered themselves part of either the neighborhoods of Bremen or Little Paderborn.

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St. Liborius: A Place of Religion and Community

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St. Liborius: A Place of Religion and Community

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In the 1850s, a German Catholic neighborhood was established "in the eighteenth block of North Eighteenth Street." (Faherty 22). The parish itself was established in 1855 and was "the sixth German parish [to be] organized in St. Louis." (Thornton 113). It was named for St. Liborius, a fourth-century bishop and "patron of the Diocese of Paderborn in Westphalia, the ancestral home of the people in the neighborhood." (Faherty 22). Helped by a benefaction from Irish immigrant John Thornton that benefited many parishes in the area, a small church was constructed at the corner of Hogan and North Market, where the first mass was held in January of 1857.

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St. Liborius Interior c. 1890. Image courtesty of Missouri Historical Society Photographs and Prints Department.

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In the 30 years to follow, the rapid growth of the parish required that a larger building be constructed on the site. The new church was designed by German-American architect William Schickel, a premier gothic revival builder from New York. With the cornerstone of the church laid in 1888 by Vicar General Heinrich Muehlsiepen, construction was completed in 1889. A parsonage was erected in 1890, followed by a convent in c. 1904/05.

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Exterior of St. Liborius c. 1911. "The Notable Catholic Institutions of Saint Louis and Vicinity" pg. 113. Courtesy of Missouri Historical Society Archives.

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The parish of St. Liborius contined to make improvements to their church and other buildings over the years. The congregation had purchased another lot in 1864, where a school building was constructed in 1886. The prominent spire in this 1911 image was added to the church in 1908 (St Liborius Parish Complex). It was designed by St. Louis Architect Joseph Conradi to mirror the spire at the Freiburg Münster cathedral in Breisgau (Faherty 23).

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St. Liborius congregation c. 1911. "The Notable Catholic Institutions of Saint Louis and Vicinity" pg. 115. Courtesy of Missouri Historical Society Archives.

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For almost 100 years, the congregation at St. Liborius thrived. They conducted Mass, most likely in German, at 6, 8, and 10 in the morning, with Vespers at 2, for many years. In 1911, the church was noted as maintaining "[a] system of excellent parish schools." The continuous existence of schools run by St. Liborius demonstrates another way that German Catholics in St. Louis passed their culture on to younger generations.

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A wedding at St. Liborius. Photo taken April 29, 1950. Image courtesty of Missouri Historical Society Photographs and Prints Department.

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Marriages are a deeply important and sentimental part of life in many cultures; they are often considered a great milestone and symbol of new beginnings. The presence of weddings at St. Liborius demonstrates it importance as a cultural and community space. This couples wedding and the building that it took place in are forever immortalized in the collection of the Missouri Historical Society, located in the heart of St. Louis.

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Construction of Interstate-70 at Howard and North 8th. Photo taken 1956. Image courtesty of Missouri Historical Society Photographs and Prints Department.

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Urban Renewal and the German Communities in St. Louis

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Urban Renewal and the German Communities in St. Louis

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Along with numerous other ethnic groups in St. Louis, including the Chinese and Irish communities, the cultural connectivity of the city's German-American communities was almost destroyed during St. Louis Urban Renewal projects in the Post-War period. Interstate 70 cuts almost straight through the estimated boundaries of the German community in North St. Louis. For the parish of St. Liborius, it would irrevocably change the community of their church. Although the complex became a City Landmark in 1975 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, it was not enough to save the church. The congregation began to shrink so quickly that the parish, along with two other daughter churches, merged with that of the Most Holy Trinity Church in 1992. Suffering from a lack of funding to keep it open, the building was abandoned shortly after.

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St. Liborius today. Photo taken by Emmeline Wendel.

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Sk8 Liborius: The Story of a Church Turned Skate Park

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Sk8 Liborius: The Story of a Church Turned Skate Park

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After sitting abandoned for nearly 20 years, the church was acquired by Dave Bloom in early 2012. Renovations and fundraising have been ongoing ever since. According to current owner Bloom, the goal of the renovations was to build an art center and skate park for kids in North St. Louis.

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Image courtesy of the @sk8liborius Instagram page. Posted April 10, 2022.

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The beautiful moment captured in this photo occurred about six years into the project at St. Liborius. According to Dave on the @sk8liborius page, a group of five nuns walked into the church while they were hosting a day of skating sessions and volunteer work. Although nervous at first, the team told the women about their projects and mission for the church. Dave remembers that one of the nuns burst into tears and hugged them. She explained that the church had been a very important part of her life and thanked them for saving the church from its abandonment to make it into a place for kids. The nuns stayed for hours and were pushed around on skateboards by the team. The same nun is quoted as saying that "underserved urban youth are the congregation now." Dave says he uses the quote in every interview he does about the church.

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Image courtesy of the @sk8liborius Instagram page. Posted September 28, 2022.

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During renovations, the team worked with Paint Liborius to host artists from all over the world to display their work. What some people might consider graffiti, Sk8 Liborius considers beautiful and worthy of display for anyone who visits. The variety of styles that cover the walls of the church demonstrates perfectly how the building has become a safe haven for artistry and freedom of expression.

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Image courtesty of the @sk8liborius Instagram page. Posted April 12, 2022.

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Along with creating a safe haven for artistic expression, the team at Sk8 Liborius was determined to preserve the beautiful historic elements in the church. While the pews were removed to make room for the skate park, the paintings and sculptures along the arches and columns at the top of the image are nearly identical to what they were in the previous c. 1890 image of the church's interior.

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Late on the night of June 28, 2023, just two weeks after we left the city, Sk8 Liborius Church burned to the ground as a result of a fire that began in the rectory. In the face of such devastating destruction, the team has yet to give up. Fundraising and cleanup began almost immediately and with support from their community in St. Louis and beyond, almost $86,000 have been raised to save the church. From the @sk8liborius Instagram page: "This might seem like our darkest hour, but the tremendous amount of support shows us that our efforts for the past 10 years are valid, and I personally vow that it is not over! With the support we have and all the amazing people involved in this epic project, WE WILL RISE FROM THE ASHES! Quote me on that." The GoFundMe page for the chuch is listed here: https://gofund.me/03e891bf. There is something immensely beautiful about this community and religious space becoming a gathering place for a new group of supportive and hopeful individuals. Even in the face of its many tragedies and losses, St. Liborius is still standing strong as a symbol of the past, present, and future communities of St. Louis.

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Donate to Help Sk8 Liborius Rise From The Ashes, organized by David Blum

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We are Sk8 Liborius and Liborius Urban Arts Studios (LUAS), a one-of-a-kind skate par... David Blum needs your support for Help Sk8 Liborius Rise From The Ashes

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Irish immigrants faced oppression from nativists during the mid-19th century. Nativists were threatened by this group's Catholic beliefs because the Pope's instruction and judgement would always be above the country's. They feared the Irish's potential to take jobs away from white Victorian men, as well. The construction of Irish Catholic cathedrals deeply insulted the nativists, who sought to create a "New South" in the Western United States. Nativists knew that as more Catholic immigrants poured west of the Mississippi, the more difficult their efforts to dispel Irish voices would become. However, the nativists had the upper hand on political influence in St. Louis, which gave them exponential power to suppress Irish political voices and communal growth in the city (Ritter).

Lucas Place was destroyed at the turn of the century and replaced by industrial buildings. This was not done to employ Irish immigrants, but rather extinguish their influence and stability within St. Louis. This example of urban renewal shows how immigrant groups were silenced through the destruction of their neighborhoods. More specifically, the survival of the Campbell House is essential to the story of Irish immigration to St. Louis. The building itself represents and memorializes the homes of a community silenced and dispersed by nativist voices and votes. And, since Robert Campbell’s money was elemental in supporting the construction, water supply, and morale of the community (through hosting expensive parties), the museum also represents the societal prioritization of Victorianism and wealth over the Irish ethnoburb.

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Lucas Place map, located in entryway to Campbell House Museum. Photo taken by Sarah Washburn. Original map: Courtesy of Campbell House Museum Archives. 

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Construction of Lucas Place Neighborhood

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Construction of Lucas Place Neighborhood

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The Campbell House Museum stands at 1508 Locust St in St. Louis, Missouri. Originally built in the 1850s, the house was the first building in Lucas Place, an Irish immigrant town soon to blossom and thrive around the lot. Lucas Place no longer exists within St. Louis, as the neighborhood was torn down and replaced with industrial spaces. The only exceptions in this destruction was the Campbell House and two cathedrals.

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Campbell House, on our visit to St. Louis. Captured by Em Wendel.

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Campbell House Original, from the Campbell House Archives

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Campbell House Museum back entrance and garden. Photo taken by Em Wendel. 

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Campbell House Museum: Back Entrance/Garden

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Campbell House Museum: Back Entrance/Garden

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Exhibit in Campbell House Museum, courtesy of the Campbell House Museum Archives. Photo taken by Sarah Washburn.

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The luxurious life of the Campbell's was supported by Robert Campbell's business in fur trading. His connections with select Native American communities led to incredible growth in his wealth. The image above depicts trade beads from a transaction between Robert Campbell and an Indigenous group. Furthermore, Robert worked with William Sublet at Fort Laramie in the 1840s. This was a large fur trading port, where these men had hands in real estate, shipping, and railroads. This stage in Robert's career was elemental in creating his success and notoriety in the Victorian American society. Robert's economic and social status reached great lengths, as many famous figures, such as President Grant and Mark Twain, attended several dinner parties at Robert's home.

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The 1860 and 1880 census records for the Campbell family servants. Courtesy of the Campbell House Museum.

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The Campbell family had many servants throughout their time at the House, the majority of them being Irish immigrant women. Thus, the home was supported the surrounding Irish community by employing fellow immigrants, as well as offered a gathering space for the town. Additionally, Robert Campbell paid for the whole neighborhood's water supply, which acted to create community within Lucas Place, as well as trust and stability with the town's members.

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Mid-19th century photo of the Campbell House hallway by Hugh Campbell. Courtesy of the Campbell House Musuem.

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Per the building's title, the space was formerly home to the Campbell's, a large family of wealthy Irish immigrants. The museum maintains 95% of the home's original furniture, decoration, and layout, all of which align with the desired aesthetic of high Victorian society of the mid-19th century. Every surface within the home displays immaculate pieces of art and trinkets owned by the family, including several of their stuffed pet birds. Mrs. Campbell's dishes are still in the china cabinet by the kitchen, and original portraits still hang on the parlor walls. The precision of the Campbell House's recreation was due to Hugh Campbell's surviving photography of the home's interior. Hugh's images helped curators reposition and reupholster the home to it's near-exact image.

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Restored v. Original Wall Design, located in the first floor hallway. Photo taken by Sarah Washburn.

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The original wall design of the first floor sitting room, parlor, and hallway was recreated by taking samples from the original wall, remixing the colors, and tracing the design back with the new, more vibrant color palette.

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Mrs. Campbell's China Cabinet. Photo taken by Sarah Washburn.

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Each piece of china dishes is still adorned with different, custom painted foods, consistent with their original pattern. It was incredibly impactful to see the dishes used at the Campbell's dinner parties. In a separate cupboard, located to the left of the one pictured, there were several ice cream molds that were used at such parties, which is an entirely extravagant, Victorian item to have in one's kitchen. The survival of these dishes shows the community built at the House, for both the Irish and Victorian communities in St. Louis. These dishes hosted events for Lucas Place and surrounding Victorians within and outside St. Louis, and seeing the preserved provides a physical image to this interesting contrast. The Campbells, in many ways, bridged the gap between the Irish community and the Victorian society, thus closing the distance between Irish immigrant arrival and acclimation.

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Candelabra, One of Two. Photo taken by Sarah Washburn.

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Candelabra, Two of Two. Photo taken by Sarah Washburn.

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This candelabra set are one of three sets to exist in the world, another set currently placed in the Buckingham Palace. There could be a correlation to English symbolism and culture here. Victorian Americans, whether they liked to admit it or not, put Europe on a pedestal for it's classical style and architecture. The Campbell's Victorianism is visceral through these candelabras, as they represent an entirely middle class American attempt at creating/replicating English elitism and culture.

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Campbell Family Pet Bird, located on a mantel on the first floor. Photo taken by Sarah Washburn.

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There are several stuffed birds located throughout the house, including in Mr. and Mrs. Campbell's bedroom. Perhaps, this display of a pet stands to represent the family's wealth and "Victorianism", as the middle-class society of the mid-1800s was fond of symbols of familial closeness, alongside classic symbols of abundance. Portraying several passed family pets, especially as they are birds, shows the family's closeness and abundance, thus reminding visitors, both today and from the 1800s, that the Campbell's were Victorian, despite being Irish.

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Calling card addressed to "Mrs. Robert Campbell". Courtesy of the Campbell Museum House Archives. 

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Calling cards were discovered during the restoration of the House. It is objects like these that show the Campbell's participation and acceptance into Victorian culture in St. Louis during the mid-1800s. As Irish immigrants, their wealth and compliance to Victorian culture and rules were vital in their survival in St. Louis. As the Campbells' supported other Irish families in Lucas Place, through water supply and community events, the Campbells' survival meant the community's survival. The museum memorialized the Victorian decoration of the house in order to emphasize the brilliance of the family's acclimation into a hub for Victorian society. If the Campbell's had not been wealthy or willing enough to conform to this middle class society, their house may not have survived the destruction of Lucas Place. The Campbell House is, therefore, representative of both the Irish community and Victorian society, as it was the first home in a new Irish town, and it was a staple for Victorian leisure and interaction in the city.

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Campbell House Museum sign located at back entrance. Photo taken by Em Wendel. 

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The Campbell House Museum stands to commemorate the influence of Robert Campbell, as well as the lives of the Irish community in Lucas Place. The Campbell family's monetary successes permeated the surrounding Irish community, thus helping the Irish a better foundation for acclimation and transformation within Victorian society in 19th-century North America.

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Our research group at the Campbell House Museum in St. Louis. 

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The Pillars of Community: Our Memories, Gratitudes, and Lessons from Conducting Research in St. Louis

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The Pillars of Community: Our Memories, Gratitudes, and Lessons from Conducting Research in St. Louis

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Visiting St. Louis introduced us to community engagement, place-based learning, and the roots of the vibrant Chinese, Irish, and German communities in the city.

It was at the Missouri Historical Society Archives when we learned from Mr. Peter Tao and Mr. Christopher Gordon about the Chinese Collecting Initiative and their dedicated efforts to learn about Hop Alley and the construction of Chinese community. We also experienced the bussle and smells of Corner 17 and learned about the journey and strength of the Wei family.

At the Campbell House Museum, we immersed ourselves in a preserved history of ornate furnishings and explored the detailed archives from the museum with the patient guidance of Mr. Samuel Moore. We learned about how the family immigrated, built and sustained a strong Irish community, and sought to become engaged, prosperous Americans.

Sk8 Liborius, also known as Saint Liborius, was another community site that exposed the long roots of German immigrants in St. Louis. At this Cathedral, we investigated the grounds, building markings, and the glorious art and stained-glass windows. Mr. Dave Bloom also shared with us the immigrants' history and the community-based programs and spaces he welcomed the public to join.

Together, these three communities taught us the importance of fighting to save and preserving ethnic identities and spaces, perseverance, grit, and resilience throughout historic and current adversities, challenges, joys, among other notable moments. The people who stood in the communities historically and now have given us so many lessons, research materials, and memories to grow and investigate. Just as the sites of our research do, we hope that this project will serve as a testament to the vibrant communities of immigrants that made St. Louis their home, to those diverse and beautiful groups of people that continue to inhabit it, and as a reminder that change does not, and cannot, mean that we forget.

In constructing this project, the community leaders, researchers, archivists, and many more individuals have devoted their time, resources, and energy to help us make this informative, personal research project. Thank you very much to the Mr. Dennis, Mr. Gordon, Mr. Tao, the librarians, Mr. Moore, Mr. Hanh (director of the Campbell House Museum), Mr. Bloom, Mr. Wei, and other community-based individuals! We are deeply grateful for your support and guidance through our first archives-based research project, welcoming us to the city, and the patience and graciousness you had for us.

Thank you also very much for the professors who gave us the tools and support to connect with communities, collect archives and materials, and immerse ourselves in not only research but also St. Louis. We appreciate everything you have shared, given, and showed us to make the trip and project a highlight of our time at Kalamazoo College.

Thank you also to our fellow researchers in the grant! Everyone inspired us to dig deep, connect more sustainability and intentionally, and present research close to St. Louis's heart and our own.

Lastly, we would like to extend a huge thank you to Ms. Mendoza Pineda and the other Center for International Programs staff and the Melon HILL grant directors for opening this opportunity to experience place-based learning, conduct group research projects on the topics of our choice, and offering your constant support throughout the pre-trip process and trip!

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Andino, Mary. "Hop Alley: The legacy of St. Louis' Chinatown." FEAST Magazine, 26 May 2023, Hop Alley: The legacy of St. Louis' Chinatown (feastmagazine.com)

Wei, Xin. Corner17. Instagram.

Groth, Mark. "The Chinese-American Experience in St. Louis and how Preservation Cements Our Stories and Sense of Place." NEXTSTL, 2 February 2022, The Chinese-American Experience in St. Louis and how Preservation Cements Our Stories and Sense of Place - NextSTL

Jiao, Fan. “Hop Alley, and Chinatown Mayor Annie Leong.” 美华史记, 6 Dec. 2022, usdandelion.com/archives/7604.

Kiel, Jax. “Corner 17: From the Fields of Rural China to a Beloved Chinese Restaurant in St. Louis.” Intentionalist, 24 May 2022, intentionalist.com/blog/corner-17-from-the-fields-of-rural-china-to-a-beloved-chinese-restaurant-in-st-louis/.

Suen, Mabel. "Ivan Wei Offers Quality Chinese Food Fast at Corner 17 and Joy Luck Chinese Express." FEAST, 19 July 2022, Ivan Wei Offers Quality Chinese Food Fast at Corner 17 and Joy Luck Chinese Express (feastmagazine.com)

Unknown. "Corner 17." Restaurant Guru Explore all restaurants worldwide!, 08 July 2023. Corner 17 in University City - Restaurant menu and reviews (restaurantguru.com)

Wei, Xin. "Corner 17 noodles and bubble tea." Jayopos, 2020, Corner 17 Chinese Restaurant (corner17usa.com)

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Bloom, Dave. @sk8liborius. https://www.instagram.com/sk8liborius/

Huebener, Theodore. The Germans in America. Chilton Co., Book Division, 1962.

Ladies’ class of the German immigrant athletic Society, Concordia Turnverein (later called the Concordia Gymnastic Society). 1878. N37751. Concordia Gymnastic Society Collection. Missouri Historical Society Archives, St. Louis, MO. http://collections.mohistory.org/resource/142969

Meyers, Ed. Group in traditional German dress during St. Louis Schwabenfest, Triangle Park, 4100 South Broadway. August 28, 1932. P0403-04485-01-8n. Sievers Studio Collection. Missouri Historical Society Archives, St. Louis, MO. http://collections.mohistory.org/resource/604833

Rippley, La Vern J. The German-Americans. Twayne Publishers, 1976.

Roman Catholic: St. Liborius Catholic Church, ca. 1890 (Interior). F92. Religious Buildings: Catholic Churches - A to St. L. Missouri Historical Society Archives, St. Louis, MO. http://collections.mohistory.org/resource/533297

Sievers, Isaac. Norma Rothenbuecher and Anita Saussele posing in traditional costumes at German House, 2345 Lafayette Avenue. May 10, 1931. P0403-03599-02-8n. Sievers Studio Collection. Missouri Historical Society Archives, St. Louis, MO. http://collections.mohistory.org/resource/495809

“Structures: Hyde Park.” Mound City on the Mississippi: A St. Louis History. https://dynamic.stlouis-mo.gov/history/structdetail.cfm?Master_ID=1407. Accessed 3 Aug. 2023.

“Structures: St. Liborius Parish Complex.” Mound City on the Mississippi: A St. Louis History. https://dynamic.stlouis-mo.gov/history/structdetail.cfm?Master_ID=1379. Accessed 3 Aug. 2023.

Thornton et. al. “The Notable Catholic Institutions of St. Louis and Vicinity: Beautiful Churches, Halls of Learning, and the Great Charities, Illustrated.” Finkenbiner-Reid Publishing Co., St. Louis, MO. 1911.

Wedding at St. Liborius Church. April 29, 1950. P0403-50617-07-4a. Event: Wedding reception at an unidentified location and wedding at St. Liborius Church. Missouri Historical Society Archives, St. Louis, MO. http://collections.mohistory.org/resource/1091503

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Campbell House Museum Archive and Collection. Accessed August 3, 2023. https://campbellhousemuseum.catalogaccess.com/.

Fenske, Sarah. “How the Irish Found Their Place in St. Louis - and Helped Shape the City.” STLPR, March 17, 2022. https://news.stlpublicradio.org/show/st-louis-on-the-air/2022-03-17/how-the-irish-found-their-place-in-st-louis-and-helped-shape-the-city.

“Part I: Peopling St. Louis.” stlouis. Accessed August 3, 2023. https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/planning/cultural-resources/preservation-plan/Part-I-Peopling-St-Louis.cfm.

Ritter, Luke. Inventing America’s first immigration crisis: Political nativism in the Antebellum West. New York (N. Y.): Fordham University Press, 2021.

“Welcome to the Campbell House Museum.” Campbell House Museum, April 10, 2023. https://www.campbellhousemuseum.org/.