Let’s be honest. Chicagoans have always had a bit of a thing about St. Louis. It’s hot and humid. They’ve got the Mighty Mississippi, but we’ve got a Great Lake. The Blackhawks and the Blues don’t exchange greeting cards. And then there’s the Cubs-Cardinals blood feud, which is generational in nature.
But give credit to St. Louis for one great thing that Chicago can’t match. It’s an architectural marvel, a graceful and moving symbol of American heritage, a one-of-kind tourist attraction. It’s the Gateway Arch, which celebrates its 60th anniversary Tuesday.
And it’s so much more than a birthday celebration (or a nod of amazement that such an odd thing is still standing). For the full story of the Gateway Arch is extraordinary; a combination of history, vision, perseverance, creativity and engineering that’s likely to surprise many Chicagoans; quite the “I didn’t know that” moment.
The Gateway Arch was completed Oct. 28, 1965. But would you be surprised to know that its development dates to the late 1930s? That’s when a few leading St. Louisans thought of turning some riverfront railroad property into a memorial for President Thomas Jefferson, whose vision of a unified continental nation prompted the country’s western territorial expansion — through St. Louis.
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Those civic-minded citizens worked hard to move the project forward. A local commission (the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Association) was formed. Local awareness was raised among, and support sought from, St. Louis residents. The state of Missouri indicated its backing. Congress was also engaged, and in December 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order designating the riverfront property as a National Historical Site and allocated funding to begin development.
Yet fate, rather than community leaders and politicians, would ultimately control the development of the project. The Great Depression, World War II and the Korean War all presented challenges. The intervening years also brought delays associated with fundraising, political opposition, land acquisition, realignment of railroad tracks, bid processes and litigation. When actual construction of the Arch began Feb. 12, 1963, almost 30 years had passed since the idea of a memorial had first arisen. That’s quite a gestation period and quite a tribute to civic commitment.
As it turned out, the choice of an architect proved a seminal event in the developmental process. In the late 1940s, a design contest was held to select the creative leader. And what a selection it proved to be. For the breathtaking imagination of Finnish American architect Eero Saarinen ultimately galvanized support for the project and moved it forward to completion. (Saarinen’s other work included Dulles and John F. Kennedy airport terminals and the Crow Island elementary school in Winnetka).
Saarinen’s complex arched vision was grounded in two legs structured as equilateral triangles, joined at top by a keystone piece. Its unique shape reflects what the engineers and mathematicians refer to as an inverted weighted catenary (please, don’t ask). It was, and remains, an engineering and construction marvel; not only the tallest memorial in the country but also the tallest stainless steel monument in the world.
But the power of the memorial isn’t limited to the Arch itself. Its spectacular grounds, with rolling hills, tree-lined walkways and grand stairways, are inseparable from the stainless steel structure. Indeed, the National Park Service — which operates the monument —describes the grounds as “one of the most significant contemporary landscapes in the United States.”
And the result is a striking panorama that remains one of the most popular “bucket list” destinations in the country. It’s been designated a National Historical Landmark, with peers including Wrigley Field and several other Illinois sites (sorry, Sox fans, the “new” Comiskey Park didn’t make the list). That’s keeping some good company.
But it’s more than that; it’s a history lesson in stainless steel.
In his farewell address, President Ronald Reagan warned of an eradication of the American memory that he felt could result, ultimately, in an erosion of the American spirit. “If we forget what we did, we won’t know who we are.” And the Gateway Arch doesn’t let us forget the great westward movement of the country that occurred following Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase, and the explorers, hunters, pathfinders and pioneers — and cities — that made it happen.
Ultimately, the Arch symbolizes the power of civic spirit and tenacity. It reminds us that the exercise of this spirit isn’t limited to only the very largest of American cities. For civic spirit can be manifested in ways both large and small, tangible and intangible. It can be applied in the memorials to the fallen, in the beautification of cities and in the cultural enhancement of their citizens. It can even be used in defense of civil liberties.
The development of the Gateway Arch, and the vision and resolve that made it possible, represents civic spirit at its finest. We Chicagoans should thus give our St. Louis neighbors that full level of credit for which they, and their predecessors, have earned.
Michael W. Peregrine is a Chicago lawyer and graduate of Oak Park High.
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