Writer documenting history of Maryland Heights area
By Erin Taylor

When most people think of Maryland Heights, they think of the slots at Harrah's Casino, summer concerts at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater or Parties at the Plaza in Westport Plaza.

The stories of the origins of Maryland Heights go back much further than riverboat gambling and popular music acts. It's a history that includes Indian raids, Southern-style plantations, gypsy camps, taverns that featured the likes of Ike and Tina Turner, drag racing on Dorsett Road and gangsters running speakeasies.

Paul Thompson, former communications director for Maryland Heights, is in the midst of compiling that history -- warts and all -- for a book to be published next fall.

Thompson hopes to hear from residents about their memories of the area, incorporated as a city in 1985. He feels having a documented history of the city will help bind people together and deepen their sense of civic pride.

"Another reason for writing this book is many of the old-time residents who have seen the community change from a rough-and-tumble village to a thriving city are dying out," Thompson said. "It's crucial to record their stories before they are lost forever."

According to Thompson's initial research, archaeological evidence dates the existence of native hunter-gatherer tribes to the Maryland Heights area as far back as 10,000 years ago. Indian cultures and early French settlers were attracted to Creve Coeur Lake to meet the fur-trading market's demand for beaver pelts.

A trolley line to the lake later made it a popular destination for people looking to get out of St. Louis. The lake also hosted Olympic rowing competitions in 1904. Thompson said farmers were attracted to the area because of the rich soil from the Missouri River flood plain, making it some of the most fertile land in the country.

Creve Coeur, University City, Clayton, Ladue, Ballwin and St. Louis County all have books detailing their communities' histories. Thompson hopes to have a final draft of the book completed by April and on bookstands by September 2008. He is working under a $40,000 contract from the city until April.

Thompson worked for the city for seven years, and prior to that was a newspaper reporter covering local communities and politics. It's this background that helps Thompson know "what makes a community tick," he said.

"There are sure to be lots of anecdotes in the memories of longtime residents, and shoeboxes stuffed full and stashed away in closets and attics," Thompson said. "I want to hear those stories, see the memorabilia and use those photos for this book."

To contact Thompson about one's stories, photographs and other memorabilia, call (314) 579-9628 or e-mail him at mhhistoryproject@yahoo.com.

You can contact Erin Taylor at etaylor@yourjournal.com.