a Better Bubble™

40 South News

Maplewood History: Just What Exactly Was The Maplewood Departmental School?

1 year 2 months ago
This small booklet was among the many interesting objects, images and documents that Laura Varilek was kind enough to share with us.  I don’t know anything about it.  By 1919, Maplewood was set up pretty well schoolwise having just constructed a new, large high school a couple of years earlier. I don’t know what purpose […]
Doug Houser

Deer Creek Bar and Grill shutters, less than a year and a half after opening

1 year 2 months ago
Deer Cree Bar and Grill, which opened in September 2021, has shut its doors, announcing the decision on Instagram. Prior to that, the location was owned by Tommy Bahn since 1988 as Cousin Hugo’s.  Bahn temporarily closed up during the pandemic, then reopened, before shuttering in September 2021, when the lease was up.
Doug Miner

Reported: vegan, gluten-free bakery coming; MRH graduate obituaries

1 year 2 months ago
Two Maplewood Richmond Heights graduates have been reported passed on. Also, Feast and Sauce magazines report that a vegan and gluten-free bakery is moving into the former Pie Oh My space on Sutton Boulevard. The Bradenton Times — Robert Alan Price obituary (MRH graduate) Leader Publications — Joyce (Loida) Van Sickle, 76, Hillsboro (MRH graduate) […]
Doug Miner

Maplewood History: A Rare Image of an Early Kroger Super Market

1 year 2 months ago
Another very rare bit of Maplewoodiana has come to light.  Attached to an email from my former neighbor, Bill Smothers, was this wonderful image of an early Kroger Super Market.  I have seen only one other image of a Kroger store in Maplewood.  It is in the collection of our library and not of very […]
Doug Houser

Maplewood History: Buy A Piece Of Your Own At The Chamber Auction

1 year 3 months ago
Today is the day of the annual auction to support our Chamber of Commerce.  Instead of the usual fall date, this year the nice folks at the C of C have combined the auction with their Trivia nite. You can find all of the details on their website. Mid-County Chamber of Commerce As has been […]
Doug Houser

Quik Trip buys corner in Ellendale

1 year 3 months ago
NextSTL, on Instagram (@nextstl), has posted that Quik Trip has taken possession of 6800 Arsenal. It’s in the Ellendale neighborhood next to Maplewood.One can only assume it’s for yet another QT location.
Doug Miner

Current Maplewood business buys former Intaglia building

1 year 3 months ago
The former Intaglia home furniture shop at the corner of Manchester Road and Bellevue Avenue (7195 Mahchester Road) has been purchased by JZ Vacation Rentals, according to an agent at Saint Louis Group. JZ Vacation was previously in the 7200 block of Manchester. The agent said JZ Vacation Rental plans to turn its previous spot […]
Doug Miner

Maplewood History: First There Were Horses – A Repost

1 year 3 months ago
Before there were cars, that is.  I had been thinking about running this post again for quite a while.  I had forgotten that there were three separate posts about the horses.  I think we are very lucky to have found so much information.  This one will start you off. Maplewood History: First There Were Horses […]
Doug Houser

Maplewood History: Now You Can Own A Reproduction Of A Stan Masters Watercolor!

1 year 3 months ago
Dear Readers, Most of you are probably unaware of the value of an original watercolor by Stan Masters.  For about the past 16 years Stan’s paintings have been ably marketed by the local fine art and antiques dealer Robert Morrissey.  With Robert’s help and marketing skills, Stan’s widow and my friend and former neighbor, Carlene, […]
Doug Houser

Maplewood History: The Bruno Farm

1 year 4 months ago
John Baptiste Bruno once had a farm adjacent to and just north of James Sutton’s.  Lucky for us area historian, Esley Hamilton had done his homework on this one. NOTES ON THE BRUNO HOUSE 7310 BRUNO AVENUE, RICHMOND HEIGHTS It has been suggested that the house at 7310 Bruno Avenue is the original pioneer Bruno […]
Doug Houser

Maplewood History For Sale

1 year 4 months ago
In 2008, I produced a book for the 100th anniversary of the founding of our town called The First 100 Years, Maplewood, MO. It was a fundraiser for the Maplewood Community Betterment Foundation.  Still is.  If you would like a copy of that book, you can pick one up at Scheidt Hardware (True Value to […]
Doug Houser

Kitchen Conservatory coming to Brentwood

1 year 5 months ago
The business offering cooking classes from beginner to gourmet, Kitchen Conservatory, is moving from Clayton to a new location in Brentwood on Manchester Road — the location of the now demolished Brentwood Lanes and the smaller contiguous lot to the west. The lot to the west is the one next to Gene-Del Printing at 9019 […]
Doug Miner

Maplewood History: For Sale – A Painted Photograph of Gertrude Harper

1 year 5 months ago
Now for something completely different. Recently a man contacted me who has a portrait of Gertrude Harper for sale.  He bought it at a thrift shop sometime ago. Now he is looking for another home for it.  The price is $20 which seems reasonable. Gertrude Harper was the daughter of Dr. Cape and his wife […]
Doug Houser

Maplewood History: Exceedingly Rare Images Discovered in the Varilek Collection

1 year 5 months ago
We’ve struck another vein of gold in the mountain of historic Maplewood photographs.  My last post covered my recent meeting with two descendants of Sarah Wilgus Sutton Humphreys Harrison, Laura Varilek and Will Holmes and their visit to their great, great grandmother’s home which is now the J.B. Smith Funeral parlor.  If you don’t remember […]
Doug Houser

Maplewood History: Being Made Or At Least Re-Lived

1 year 5 months ago
Sarah Harrison’s Family Came to Town Recently, I was pleased to entertain the first, as far as I know, out-of-town, Maplewood History-inspired tourists to this lovely village of ours.  They even stayed in a Maplewood VRBO on Lanham which I didn’t even know that we had.  Actually, it may be in the City of St. […]
Doug Houser