St. Louis has a long and chronicled history, ranging from great historical events to world famous inventions. We took a trip to the heart of the city to see what great inventions are helmed by St. Louis, and where the best places to experience them are.
The Tallest Man-Made Monument
St. Louis is famously the home of the towering Gateway Arch, the tallest man-made monument in the world. Standing at 630 feet tall, it acts as a symbolic gateway to the western world, and is home to a museum showcasing the history of St. Louis. It’s the quintessential spot to go when you’re in town.
The First US Olympics
The 3rd ever Olympic Games, and the first to be held on American soil, was hosted in St. Louis in 1904. Although it wasn’t the safest event in Olympic history, it marked a turning point for America. The 1904 World’s Fair was held to showcase American inventions to incoming folks from around the world. Many of the inventions on this list came from this fair, and many of the household products and foods we use today were first introduced to America at this fair.
The First Public Kindergarten
Prior to 1873, kindergarten was an optional, private education option. Susan Blow brought the first public kindergarten to America in Des Peres, making St. Louis the first school district in America to offer it. By 1880 there were more than 400 public kindergartens across 30 states. Nowadays, the Des Peres Kindergarten has been preserved as a museum in the Carondelet Historical Society.
The Waffle Cone
The ice cream cone was invented – or at least made publicly mainstream – at the 1904 St. Louis fair when Abe Doumar, an ice cream vendor, ran out of paper cups, and resorted to curling a waffle cookie into a cone to place the ice cream in. While similar inventions were floating around in years prior, the waffle cone became a hit at the world fair. In present day St. Louis, however, one of the best places to get a high-quality waffle cone is Clementines.
Build-A-Bear Workshop
Founded by Maxine Clark and opened in 1997, the first ever Build-A-Bear Workshop was built in the St. Louis Galleria, where it still resides today.
Cotton Candy
The brainchild of dentist William Morrison and candy-maker John Wharton, cotton candy was first crafted in Nashville TN, and brought to the 1904 St. Louis fair to be presented to the world for the first time. The candy was a hit, and is now made and sold in candy stores around the world.
Gooey Butter Cake
Created in the 1930s by an anonymous baker, gooey butter cake was accidentally crafted when the recipe for a cake mix was misread, and the proportions for flour and butter were reversed. The gooey mess of buttery sweetness was sampled to the public to see if there was interest in the cake. There was not. Instead, bakers throughout St. Louis practiced and refined a perfect gooey butter recipe. It only took a few decades, but gooey butter cake took off, and became the confection craze it is today. We took a trip to Park Avenue Coffee on The Hill, and experienced a true St. Louis classic.
Blues and Ragtime
St. Louis is home to some of the greatest blues players in history, such as Chuck Berry, Miles Davis, Scott Joplin and Tina Turner. At a time, St. Louis was bustling with performers, which changed the landscape of music in the west, as St. Louis acted as the “gateway” from the south to the north. Blues and jazz evolved greatly in St. Louis, and Blues history is embedded in its culture. In terms of music invented in St Louis, ragtime was created by Scott Joplin in the 1800s. That iconic ivory-tickling sound that plays in the westerns came straight from the city.
Toasted Ravioli
Possibly the greatest St. Louis invention can actually still be found to this day. Charlie Gitto’s, the birthplace of toasted ravioli, is still open and still sells the dish. It was created in the 1940s, when a cook accidentally dropped ravioli in hot oil instead of water, and decided to bread it to see how it would taste. This happy accident turned into a city staple, and can be purchased in supermarkets and restaurants all around.
