Creve Couer Lake History

[bjrpkr]

Interesting threads about Creve Coeur Lake. Does anyone remember if the lake used to be called Grier's Lake? My great aunt was Anna Bonar, her husband Henry. His mother was a Delia Grier. There's still a Grier's Lane there in Vigus. Any old history would be appreciated. I remember going to her house as a child. Old house, pot belly stove, way out in the 'country'. All the old folks are gone that remember anything.

[flynavyj]

I have maps that date till the late 1800's where it's listed as Creve Coeur Lake...not sure about Grier's Lake though.

[Sassybluesy]

Originally Posted by DinsdalePirahna

From what I know, It does allow a few powerboat events during the course of the year. But powerboats in general are not allowed.

Seems like, back in the day...maybe somewhere between 15 and 20 years ago, I went to powerboat races there once. You know...boats like Cigarette boats...but maybe I'm thinking of a different lake.


When I was young, used to hang out at Creve Couer Park all the time.

[flynavyj]

They do have powerboat races there - least they used to.

[Rechtiene1195]

Originally Posted by Northwoods Voyager

Memories of Creve Couer Lake? I have many. In the 1940s my parents, aunts, uncles, cousins would go there many times during the summer. There were a few 'restaurant-bars'. One was the favorite of ours. On the stilts as mentioned. The main room was about 35-40 foot square with windows all around. A bar on the right as you entered after climbing the stairs from outside. Many tables for 4 all around. Juke box, shuffle board, darts and cards were played. A smaller room off of the back left provided us kids w/a place to sit and drink our soda and eat chips and play.

Later, as my cousins and I were a little older, 12-15, we would ride the Creve Couer streetcar from Wellston. Talk about a fun ride. These were the old fashioned street cars that swayed back and forth, clanged and were really fun to ride. Some of us would sit at the opposite end of the street car and thought it was amusing to give a yank every once in awhile on the pole leading from the street car to the line above. Ok, we were kids.

There were many of these buildings all set in a long row, on stilts on this side of the lake. Some would fish. Take boats out and paddle around. My cousins and I also visited the horse riding stables many times. Now that was fun riding the horses through the woods at the top of the hill. Lots of good remembories for that lake. Haven't been there in so many years!

when they dug the poison out of the lake they piled it up on the west side of the lake. Anyone can see areas where the dirt is piled up and it actually has a chain linked fence around it. It is in a couple places near 364 and 141.

[Rechtiene1195]

when they dug the poison out of the lake they piled it up on the west side of the lake. Anyone can see areas where the dirt is piled up and it actually has a chain linked fence around it. It is in a couple places near 364 and 141.

[Rechtiene1195]

Originally Posted by Linda Hammond

My family owned property at Creve Couer Lake before the government take over in the 60s. I can tell you things nobody else can about the removed radioactive material taken from the floor of that lake and moved to (We now know) West lake land fill. Most anybody living at the lake is dead now. I still suffer from polution related illness. Mercury, Lead, Arsnic. Only a few of the problems dumped in that lake. Dead bodies too. The Chicago mafia made a weekly trip to that lake to empty the cigerete and pinball machines that kept in my familys road house by the lake. In between it fall and rise. Say the 30s, 40s & 50s It was well known "There was no law west of Lindberg." Drinking, gambling, prostitution. There was no law, it was the wild west of St. Louis. And Dumping. Monsanto, Dupont, Government surpluss, you name it. If it was toxic dump it in Creve Couer. Got a body you need to get rid of, Creve Couer it. People still fished on it. We ice skated on it and played around it. We had no idea then. Lovers parked by the water fall and kids climbed the water fall. Then came the secret clean up that nobody seems to know about now. Barges dug up twenty feet of the bottom of that lake and hauled that radioactive muck to a secret un disclosed place. I might be the last person alive to remember that clean up of Creve Couer Lake and I wont be around long. I am 62 and my health is failing. But I still have a little time to tell. Do you have time to listen?

when they dug the poison out of the lake they piled it up on the west side of the lake. Anyone can see areas where the dirt is piled up and it actually has a chain linked fence around it. It is in a couple places near 364 and 141.

[SunGrins]

Spanish Lake, up in the northern part of St. Louis County, was another place for excursions. There was a trolly that would take people out for the day. The old right of way went behind our house back in the 50s -- just a cinder path by then. Both lakes are natural, I think. Spanish Lake is the smaller.

[naturebow63011]

Back in the early 1880s, a rail line was setup from downtown St. Louis to Creve Coeur lake. At the time, air quality was so horrible in the city that people were eager to get out to the country for fresh air and open space. A resort was set-up on the lake and people would even come for their health like my great grandfather who sustained an injury during the Civil War which compromised his overall health causing him to die at Creve Coeur Lake in 1885 at age 40.