Another first for Berkeley...
At Kinloch Field in 1912, The first president of United States to ride in an airplane had a 3 minute ride on one of the Wright Brothers "Wright Flyer". It was none other than President Teddy Roosevelt (You will note that I said ON rather that in the airplane as it didn't have any "IN", you just hung on for the ride)
After he landed, they asked him what he thought of the ride? His Comment was "Bully". It was rumored later that he possibly spotted his laundry during this flight.
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Horse racing in Berkeley (Kinloch at that time) held at Kinloch Park Racetrack.
(The approximate location of this racetrack was in the vicinity of the
Frostwood Subdivision)
(To enlarge image, Left Click, the Right Click, select View Image and you can then click the + to enlarge)
(All above submitted by Laverne & Azlee Bean)
Below is a copy of the Memorial published in the 1957 Public News
in commemoration of Berkeley's 20th anniversary...
(submitted by Deann Deimeke)
While all this was very befitting to Berkeley in 1957, sadly the destruction of the Innerbelt (170) and the Airport expansion tore the heart out of the city we were so lucky to have grown up in. This "Progress" destroyed 5 of my family's homes along with so many of our classmates family homes. Three of our school buildings were destroyed in this expansion and Berkeley will never be the same again. Now that the school district has been merged with Ferguson...it just "Ain't" the same in our beloved city.
We can be thankful for the opportunity to have enjoyed it's legacy that will always live in our memories as a wonderful place to have spent our childhood and teen age years before we moved on to the adult world of reality...
Samuel L. Fordyce, author of the Charter that
established the City of Berkeley...
Mr. Fordyce was the first mayor for about 9 months. An election was held and George Pfitzinger became Berkeley's First elected mayor.
(Submitted by Deann Deimeke)
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George Tayloe sent this series of scans of a 1975 Berkeley City calendar marking HISTORIC FIRSTS that happened in the Kinloch/Nuroad/Berkeley Era
(The above (9) pictures submitted by George Tayloe)
Did you ever wonder how Berkeley got it's name? Well, here is the answer!
Proof of Patsy (Combs) Hornaday's Nuroad citizenship unearthed!
I have posted this to prove Nuroad, MO actually did exist even though it's memory has faded into obscurity...The area known as Nuroad existed for approximately 7 years before it became Berkeley City, MO.
50th Anniversary Program of the church
that baptized Patsy (Combs) Hornaday
Berkeley's Aviation History of Firsts:
The following was discovered on Wikipedia:
The Kinloch Airfield was known for several firsts, including the control tower, the first meal served on a flight, the first airmail shipped (From Kinloch Field to Fairgrounds Park), the first parachute jump, the first aerial photo and first animal airlifted.
Albert Bond Lambert was the first person in the St. Louis area to receive a Pilot's license and was a member of the Aero Club of St. Louis. He and the Club leased the field ion 1920 and renamed it Lambert-St. Louis Flying Field in 1923. He purchased the field in 1925 and resold the Airfield to the City of St. Louis at cost without his new improvements on February 7, 1928, where it became the first city operated Airport, the precursor of today's Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.
For a period of time, Berkeley City had Lambert Field in it's City Limit boundary but the City of St. Louis eventually annexed it away from Berkeley for obvious reasons - Revenue!
I remember the Stearmans (PT-17) being used as trainers from the Naval Air Base at Lambert Field during WW II . They flew day and night training Pilots (Primary Training) learning to be Naval aviators. The did "Touch and Go" landing day and night. I used to watch them and as many a a dozen airplanes might be in the air at one time. The all trailed each other and time after time shot landings. This airplane had a nickname, "The Yellow Peril" because many student pilots "washed out" in cross wind landing as it was a handful to get on the ground with a stiff cross wind. It was a ground looping rascal that cause many pilots to spot their laundry on these landings. There are quite a few of these airplanes still flying. Creve Coeur Airport has a few you can see flying around most weekends during good flying weather. Being an open cockpit, you wouldn't want to fly it very long on a cold winter day.
Kinloch Field History in the making...
Destiny finds historic pictures from 1911 illustrating the epic event of the first Airmail in the USA being delivered to Fairgrounds Park from Kinloch Field
A queer quirk of happenstance has placed some very historic and valuable pictures in my possession which happened to be found when my son in law's mother passed away. Among her memorabilia were some glass slide negatives that had belonged to her father. The photos produced from these negatives are of this actual event. The pictures tie into the Kinloch Field History that is listed above. The pictures show the actual airplane that delivered the first Airmail in the USA from Kinloch Field to Fairgrounds Park in St. Louis, MO.
The Wright Flyer at Kinloch Field Prior to delivering the first Airmail to Fairgrounds Park
The mail being unloaded at Fairgrounds Park in St. Louis, MO. Note the pilot is properly attired in suit and tie. The postal worker likewise had proper attire for this event.
Note the ribbon on the gentleman on the right holding one end of the mail bag that just arrived from Kinloch Field. The FIRST AIRMAIL in the USA. (See enlargement of the ribbon below)
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The ribbon shows St. Louis Aero Club on the pin holding the ribbon in commemoration of this 1911 event.
This view shows the Wright Brothers Bicycle shop influence where they built this airplane. Notice the two sprockets that look like bicycle sprockets driven by chain. These sprockets were attached to the two propellers. The tall black tower to the left of the engine, is the thermo siphon radiator. The engine was also built by the Wright Brothers, as well as the entire air frame. You had to be an adventurous aviator to fly this airplane.
Thanks to Deann Deimeke and Mrs. Florence Tayloe, we have a Directory of Nuroad's Citizens as of Nov. 21, 1931.
First Annual Homecoming
Historical Directory
(what was known as Nuroad, MO in 1931)
The image below is of the cover page of the roster of all inhabitants who lived in NUROAD in 1931. This originally was owned by Mrs. Florence Tayloe; I discovered this fact by "skylighting" the marked out scribbling on the top of the front page (right side). Deann Deimeke has over the years attempted to document Berkeley's history and this was in her possession and shares this with us. I knew each of these residents and went to school with many of their children. And...some of them hopefully will attend our reunion. The condition of this pamphlet is degraded by 80+ years of fading. I have attempted to scan it and restore it to a readable condition. This brings back a lot of memories of growing up in Nuroad and Berkeley.
You might be confused as to the multiplicity of names our fair city has had! After the Indians ceded it to the invaders from the City of St. Louis, this area was called Kinloch, South Kinloch, Nuroad and finally Berkeley. Even though it was called Nuroad in 1928, the area was often referred to as Kinloch. On July 30,1937, Berkeley City was founded. George Pfitzinger was Berkeley's first Mayor and my father, Joe M. Sowders was the first Chief of Police. Charles Hamilton (my grandfather) was the first Streets and Road Commissioner
The local business of Carl Behle's Coal, Feed, Ice and Building Materials is still in business today. (I think this business was started in 1927 and is the oldest surviving business in Berkeley today). Imogene (Behle) Freeman and Bud Freeman have kept this business going after the passing of Carl and Paul Behle...both classmates of ours and my good childhood buddies. Imogene (Class of '43) and Bud are coming to the reunion and I am looking forward to seeing them again after all these many years.
Another business was Pfitzinger's Feed and Coal. They also operated the town's favorite "watering hole" - Pfitzinger's Tavern! They were famous for the Friday Night Poker Games. Their property was taken over by the expansion of the Inner Belt (170) and the Airport buyout shut their business down. Norman, Eugene and Dorothy were classmates of ours and hopefully will be able to make the reunion.
Berkeley is full of little known facts and history…
In 1877, the City of St. Louis separated itself from the county, creating an independent city. St. Louis County was divided into five townships: St. Ferdinand, Meramec, Central, Bonhomme, and Carondelet. St. Louis City was then surrounded by these townships. The area that became Berkeley City was a small piece of the St. Ferdinand Township and was known as Kinloch, then in 1928 it became NuRoad whose existence terminated with the incorporation of Berkeley City on July 30,1937.
(Left click on map to enlarge, then right click to select View Image, Click it and a magnifying glass + will appear. Click it and you have it full size )
(Left click on map to enlarge, then right click to select View Image, Click it and a magnifying glass + will appear. Click it and you have it full size )
Picture of Early Kinloch (Nuroad/Berkeley) along the Wabash R.R. Tracks
(The Miller's store was located at the end of the streetcar tracks at Wabash)
First Church in Kinloch (Later known as Nuroad/Berkeley) in 1897
