Reflection on Pershing Place

I read with delight the recent article on the history of Pershing Place by John McCarthy. My direct personal experience with Pershing Place began in the Fall of 1951 when I arrived as an expansion to the Schlafly family residing at 4946. Until now, i do not believe anyone in our family knew that the Russian delegation to the 1904 World’s Fair had resided in “our” house on a short term lease or whether Tsar Nicholas considered visiting St. Louis.

What I remember most vividly about the transformation of Pershing to a private street was the overriding safety concern posed by the traffic on a through street and the desire to remove it. The “closing” of Pershing allowed the kids on the block to play freely in the front yards and into the street. 

By the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, dozens of youngsters under the age of 16 called Pershing Place home. As a private street, Pershing became a virtual Disneyland of games. Kick the Can, Touch Football with curbs as sidelines, Capture the Flag, Hopscotch, Stoopball and other games provided countless hours of free entertainment. On the block, when the bell rang, it meant only one thing: you better get home for dinner immediately. No parents were allowed (they had no interest anyway) and all disputes were handled by the kids.

I also learned from the article that my late father, Edward F. Schlafly, was a signator to the Right of Way Agreement with the City of St. Louis. In 1953, he was only 25 years old with two young children. He and the others took significant risk and showed real initiative in changing the character of Pershing.

Finally, as to the 1962 filming of the highly popular TV show Route 66 on Pershing, I can attest that the stories are not apocryphal. I attended the filming each day and remember vividly talking to Martin Milner and George Maharis, the stars of the show. They drove a brand new Corvette Sting Ray and spent a lot of time at Gaslight Square nearby, which was in its heyday! Nothing could have been more exciting to an avid 11 year old fan like me.

Many thanks to the Griffin for publishing this article and reviving such wonderful memories of Pershing Place.