An association of music lovers maintains a symphony orchestra. In Forest park is the open air municipal theatre, which seats 10,000. The City Art Museum in Forest park houses a valuable collection of paintings, statuary, tapestries and other works of art. The Artists' guild offers prizes to encourage artists and gives frequent art exhibits.
Newspapers; Water Supply.—The chief newspapers are the Post-Dispatch, the Globe-Democrat, and the Star Times. Foreign language newspapers are the German daily IV estliche Post, and weeklies in Hungarian, Bohemian and Polish. One of the largest music publishing houses in the United States is here. The chief hospitals are the Barnard Free Skin and Cancer, Barnes, Jewish, St. Louis Children's, St. Luke's, St. Mary's and the Shriners (for crippled children). There are two city hospitals.
The water works are near Chain of Rocks park in the extreme northern part of the city, where large settling basins and a filter ing plant are located. The Mississippi is the source of supply. Since 1923 additional water works have been built at Howard's Bend on the Missouri river about 3o m. above its mouth, with a reservoir at Olivette.
Parks and Public Buildings.—The most notable park is Forest park (1,380 ac.), portions of which have been left wild. The western part was used for the Louisiana Purchase exposition of 1904. In the park are the City Art Museum, Jefferson Me morial, Field house, Municipal theatre, two public golf links, tennis courts, baseball and soccer fields and zoological gardens. Other large parks are Tower Grove (276 ac.), Carondelet (18o ac.), O'Fallon (166 ac.), Fairground (131.46 ac.) and Francis (6o ac.). The Missouri Botanical garden (125 ac.), one of the finest in the country, was a gift to the city from Henry Shaw (180o-89), who also endowed the botanical school of Washington university.
The city maintains over 5o small parks, gardens and play grounds, and the Buder Recreation camp (139.05 ac.) at Valley park in St. Louis county. Of historical interest are the Old Cathedral (Catholic) and the old courthouse, the latter being the scene of the Dred Scott trial. In the settlement of estates in ante bellum days, slaves were often sold from the courthouse steps. The most imposing public buildings are the City Hall, new court house, Public library, Union market, Union station, Federal building, Art museum, and Jefferson memorial. Of the business buildings, the most satisfying architecturally are the Mercantile Trust, the Bell Telephone, and the Federal Reserve bank. The
best churches architecturally are the New Cathedral (Roman Catholic), the Westminster Presbyterian, Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopalian), Second Baptist, St. John's Methodist Episcopal, First Church of Christ Scientist and Temple Israel.
Government.—In 1840 a police force composed of a captain, three lieutenants and 28 privates was organized. In 1841 the boundaries were enlarged and the city was divided into five wards.
In 1842 voting by ballot was introduced, and an engineering de partment composed of the city engineer, street commissioner, and superintendent of the water works was established. A health department was created in 1843. The following year the tax-pay ing qualification for voters was removed. In 1859 an amend ment to the charter provided that the city council was to be a one chamber body called the common council to be composed of 20 members, two from each of the wards. In 186r the legislature established the metropolitan police of St. Louis, and placed it under the control of a board of police commissioners appointed by the governor. The mayor was an ex-officio member of the board. The police department was then made independent of city Government. In 1866 the council was again made bicameral. In 1871 the number of wards was increased to at least 12.
Up to 1876 St. Louis and St. Louis county were a judicial unit, and jointly controlled the court house, jail, insane asylum and poor farm. By an act of the State legislature in 1875 provision was made for the separation of the city and county, for the city to extend its boundaries, and for a new charter. In 1876 the provisions were carried into effect. The court house, jail, insane asylum, and poor farm became the property of the city and the old county debt became a city obligation. Under the charter of 1876 the city was divided into 28 wards. The mayor was to hold office for four years and was given extensive power of ap pointment. The municipal assembly was bicameral, being corn posed of a council of 13 and a house of delegates composed of one member from each ward. The mayor appointed a board of public improvements composed of the street, sewer, water, harbour and wharf and park commissioners. Each commissioner was head of a department. The charter also provided for a health department, for an elective school board of 28, one from each ward, for a board of assessors, and a board of equalization.