RECENT BOOKS PUBLISHED BY LOCAL AUTHORS CELEBRATE ST. LOUIS As a result of staycations and generally sticking closer to home for the past six months, many of us developed a new interest in and appreciation for St. Louis. Several unique books by local authors were published this fall celebrating the city’s rich history, architecture, products, and trivia. Any of these books would be a welcome gift this holiday season. All books can be purchased locally or shipped from ReedyPress.com. St. Louis Fire Stations by Robert Pauly with Dennis Maag (a portion of the proceeds from book sales benefit Backstoppers) A history book unlike any other, St. Louis Fire Stations is filled with rare and never-before-seen photos, detailing each St. Louis Fire Department station from the early 1800s to those operated today. Accompanying the images of fire stations are photos of firefighters and firefighting apparatus along with detailed historical accounts of each station, as well as the equipment and personnel assigned to them. St. Louis Fire Stations is the life-long work of noted St. Louis Fire Department historian and St. Louis Fire Department Museum curator, Robert Pauly. Following his more than 160 black and white photos is a full-color section of photos by long-time firefighter and fire apparatus photographer Dennis J. Maag.
28 slmag.net
Candy Men by Patrick Murphy The sweet smell of licorice and the giant candy bar painted on the factory wall at the Eads Bridge remain locked into the collective memory of generations of St. Louisans. Candy Men: The Story of Switzer’s Licorice tells the story of how two Irish-American families began a candy company in the kitchen of a tenement in St. Louis’s Irish neighborhood and showed the world that the American Dream could be built upon a foundation of candy. In a story that passes through three generations, the Murphys and the Switzers dedicated themselves to keeping the dream alive until it was ended by forces beyond their control. In an unlikely turn of events, the story continues today with a fresh twist and a renewed life of its own. Oldest St. Louis by NiNi Harris St. Louis has thrived for more than 250 years—from its beginnings as a French settlement in 1764 to its rapid growth in the mid1800s to the modern metropolis we know today. While many great structures have been lost or demolished, much of this history still lives on. Within the pages of Oldest St. Louis, get to know the history of the Mound City’s most iconic buildings and the stories that bring their walls to life. Included are some of the businesses and buildings from the city’s inception through the turn of the 20th
