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Has St. Louis always been a dangerous city?
Posted on: July 4, 2025 at 14:32:15 CT
KCT-BoneTiger MU
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Elijah P. Lovejoy's legacy.
In 1827 Lovejoy moved to St. Louis where he became a teacher. But then he entered the Theological Seminary at Princeton to become a minister.
He returned to St. Louis thereafter where his friends, according to the book, encouraged him to become the editor of a weekly religious newspaper. On Nov. 22, 1833, the first edition of the St. Louis Observer was published. Because of the paper's strong anti-slavery sentiment it became quite unpopular in St. Louis so Lovejoy removed it to Alton in July 1836.
He didn't find as much opposition to the Observer as he had in St. Louis, but there was a fierce portion of Alton inhabitants against the Observer and its stance on the abolition of slavery. Thus on the night of Aug. 21, 1837, a party of 15-20 men broke into the Observer office and destroyed the press and printing materials.
Another press was procured and stored in the warehouse of Godfrey, Gilman and Co., located on a wharf on the Alton riverfront. Lovejoy and friends gathered there to defend his property.
On the night of Lovejoy's murder, a mob of about 30 individuals, some with stones and some with guns and pistols, formed a line at the warehouse. Gilman confronted the mob, asking what they wanted, to which they responded, "The press."
Gilman replied that with authorization from Alton Mayor John M. Krum that they would defend their property to the life of them. The mob commenced throwing stones and firing guns. Fire was returned from within the warehouse, fatally wounding one and injuring others of the rioters. The mob retreated but soon came back with more people and more violence.
The mob raised ladders on the warehouse, starting a fire on the roof. When Lovejoy stepped to the door to look at what was occurring, he was shot dead.
A large number of people rushed the warehouse, and dragged the press onto the wharf where they broke it into pieces and threw it in the Mississippi River.
In 1827 Lovejoy moved to St. Louis where he became a teacher. But then he entered the Theological Seminary at Princeton to become a minister.
He returned to St. Louis thereafter where his friends, according to the book, encouraged him to become the editor of a weekly religious newspaper. On Nov. 22, 1833, the first edition of the St. Louis Observer was published. Because of the paper's strong anti-slavery sentiment it became quite unpopular in St. Louis so Lovejoy removed it to Alton in July 1836.
He didn't find as much opposition to the Observer as he had in St. Louis, but there was a fierce portion of Alton inhabitants against the Observer and its stance on the abolition of slavery. Thus on the night of Aug. 21, 1837, a party of 15-20 men broke into the Observer office and destroyed the press and printing materials.
Another press was procured and stored in the warehouse of Godfrey, Gilman and Co., located on a wharf on the Alton riverfront. Lovejoy and friends gathered there to defend his property.
On the night of Lovejoy's murder, a mob of about 30 individuals, some with stones and some with guns and pistols, formed a line at the warehouse. Gilman confronted the mob, asking what they wanted, to which they responded, "The press."
Gilman replied that with authorization from Alton Mayor John M. Krum that they would defend their property to the life of them. The mob commenced throwing stones and firing guns. Fire was returned from within the warehouse, fatally wounding one and injuring others of the rioters. The mob retreated but soon came back with more people and more violence.
The mob raised ladders on the warehouse, starting a fire on the roof. When Lovejoy stepped to the door to look at what was occurring, he was shot dead.
A large number of people rushed the warehouse, and dragged the press onto the wharf where they broke it into pieces and threw it in the Mississippi River.
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Has St. Louis always been a dangerous city? - KCT-BoneTiger MU - 7/4 14:32:15