In the Gould’s 1917 City Directory for St. Louis, Missouri, Samuel J. Lee is listed as residing at 1038 Grand View Place.
The family probably purchased the house sometime between 1910 and 1917, as at the 1910 census, the family was living at 4063 Chouteau, very near Sam’s store at 4067 Chouteau. (Were they possibly living over the store in those early years?)
The family was still living in this house on Grand View Place when the 1920 US Federal Census was enumerated. Samuel J. Lee, his wife Dorothy (Aiken) Lee, their son Lloyd E. Lee (later known by his middle name, Eugene or “Gene”), and Dorothy’s mother Dora J. (Russell) Aiken (she was separated from her husband, William H. Aiken) were still living in the household. Sam had his own store and worked there as a druggist, and his mother-in-law also worked there, as a saleswoman.
The house was in a beautiful area- just a long block to Forest Park, the 1300+ acre park that was the site of the 1904 World’s Fair (AKA ‘Louisiana Purchase Exposition’). The park also houses the Art Museum, zoo, bandstands, picnic areas, lakes, etc., and has been a centerpiece of St. Louis life for well over a century. The surrounding homes were big for the time period, with two or three stories. Yards were fairly small since the home was in the city, but there were small trees planted on the lot to provide shade and some cooling in the relentless sun and heat of St. Louis summers.
Learning more about a house and it’s setting can help us to understand the socio-economic position of a family, their passions (gardens, yard art, etc.), their style, etc. Looking at the architectural features of a home can help us to identify unknown photos, and possibly help date them and give us clues about the people in the images.
Tomorrow: using clues from a house to help identify unmarked photos.
Notes, Sources, and References:
1) Photo from the Lee family treasure chest.
2) Gould’s 1917 City Directory for St. Louis, Missouri: Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. http://interactive.ancestry.com/2469/11419399/619815277?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3dUSDirectories%26h%3d619815277%26ti%3d0%26indiv%3dtry%26gss%3dpt%26ssrc%3dpt_t4160486_p-1645006806_kpidz0q3d-1645006806z0q26pgz0q3d32768z0q26pgplz0q3dpid&ssrc=pt_t4160486_p-1645006806_kpidz0q3d-1645006806z0q26pgz0q3d32768z0q26pgplz0q3dpid&backlabel=ReturnRecord. Accessed 10/14/14.
3) 1920 US Federal Census for Samuel J. Lee household: Source Citation: Year: 1920; Census Place: St Louis Ward 24, St Louis (Independent City), Missouri; Roll: T625_960; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 468; Image: 245. Ancestry.com. Accessed 10/14/14. http://interactive.ancestry.com/6061/4313228-00245/103082041?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1920usfedcen%26h%3d103082041%26ti%3d0%26indiv%3dtry%26gss%3dpt%26ssrc%3dpt_t4160486_p-1645006806_kpidz0q3d-1645006806z0q26pgz0q3d32768z0q26pgplz0q3dpid&ssrc=pt_t4160486_p-1645006806_kpidz0q3d-1645006806z0q26pgz0q3d32768z0q26pgplz0q3dpid&backlabel=ReturnRecord
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