Ep 2.52: Parks, Progress, and the Exodusters

This episode surveys the vibrant and often overlooked developments of 1870s St. Louis, from the creation of Forest Park and Tower Grove Park to early experiments with air cooling and the dramatic debut of the telephone. Monsignor and Teresa explore how civic pride, technological innovation, and public leisure reshaped the city’s landscape during a decade often dismissed as uneventful. The conversation then turns to the largely forgotten story of the Exodusters—thousands of formerly enslaved African Americans who passed through St. Louis seeking freedom and opportunity in the West—and the extraordinary relief efforts led by Black St. Louisans and civic leaders. Together, these stories reveal a city grappling with progress, inequality, and compassion at a pivotal moment in its history.