5 Books to Thumb Through Local History

Fenton and High Ridge didn’t just spring up overnight, but sometimes it’s hard to track down the history of a smaller town.

Settlers from back east started coming to what would someday be Fenton in 1779, back when the land was owned by the Spanish government. Of course many of us wouldn’t know that if the City of Fenton hadn’t commissioned a book about the little town back in 1992.

It would seem that High Ridge isn’t considered bookworthy as yet, though the area does warrant an entry in Wikipedia.

River City: The Story of Fenton, Missouri, by Della Lang. This book is available through the St. Louis County and Jefferson County libraries, but is no longer in print. A rambling account of Fenton’s founders and a bunch of old black-and-white photos gathered from area residents. A must read if you've ever wondered who Bowles was and why he got a road and a school named after him.

Missouri Curiosities, by Josh Young This book is available through the St. Louis County and Jefferson County libraries and currently sold at Barnes & Noble. Alas, our region is not mentioned in this book, but how else would you find out about the oldest theater west of the Allegheny Mountains or where to find the world’s largest goose?

Route 66 in St. Louis, by Joe Sonderman. This book is available through the St. Louis County and Jefferson County libraries and currently sold at Barnes & Noble. This book tells the story of Route 66 in glorious black-and-white photos. See a picture of the “new” Chrysler Plant, which opened in 1959 to manufacture the Valiant and Dudley’s Cabins and Services, now the location of Fenton’s White Castle.

Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds, by Norma Maret Bolin. Available through the St. Louis County and Jefferson County libraries, this book is also and currently sold on Amazon.com. This giant tour book will guide you on a building by building tour of the Mother Road from the Mississippi to just past Gray Summit. This book points out land marks that can still be found as well as those long gone.

S is for Show Me: A Missouri Alphabet (Discover America State By State), by Judy and Ross Young. This book is available through the St. Louis County and Jefferson County libraries and currently sold at Barnes & Noble. This one is for the kids—an alphabet picture book with something from Missouri for every letter.

Editor's note: Visit the Jefferson County Library for availability of these items.