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Table of Contents Malcolm Martin Memorial Park Opens – June, 2009 Meachum Freedom Crossing Reenactment – May, 2009 The Year of the River - The Cuyahoga 40 Years Later - Apr, 2009 Segways Tours at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge - Apr - Oct, 2009 2009 Confluence Trash Bash - March, 2009
Malcolm Martin Memorial Park Opens "Awesome and beautiful and spectacular and phenomenal and all those words don't quite cover it," said Mike Buehlhorn, the executive director of the Metro East Park and Recreation District, which oversees the park.
Meachum Freedom Crossing Reenactment
The Year of the River - The Cuyahoga 40 Years Later But before there was a Cuyahoga comeback, the Cuyahoga was a catalyst. When the oily, murky and sluggish waterway caught fire in June 1969, it not only caught the attention of a previously indifferent industrial nation -- it also ignited an already smoldering ecological movement. That movement toward environmental responsibility included the first Earth Day and passage of the federal Clean Water Act of 1972, still the most influential water improvement measure on the books. "The fire did contribute a huge amount to the new environmental movement and it put the issue in front of everyone else, too," said Jonathan Adler, environmental historian and law professor at Case Western Reserve University. "Water pollution became a tangible, vivid thing -- like it had never been on a national level. There was a sense of crisis at that point. It was: Oh, my God - rivers are catching on fire." Learn more on the Cleveland Plain Dealer blog and the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Segways Tours at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge
Starting on April 26 and continuing every other Sunday through October 25, the Saint Louis Science Center will offer “Meet Me on Route 66 Glided Tours.” Meet on the Illinois side of the river and ride the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge across the Mississippi. Follow the bike trail down the Missouri side of the river learning history of the famous Route 66. Brief training is included.
Watch Show Me St. Louis video on KSDK's website Learn more on the Saint Louis Science Center website
Despite very wet weather conditions at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge on March 28, 330 dedicated volunteers of all ages turned up to remove debris and restore important environment along our Rivers. Missouri River Relief, one of the program partners, led volunteers to pre-determined sites along the River to pick up trash. Others bravely went on boats to pick up debris from sand bars and islands. By the end of the day, these volunteers had collected over seven tons of trash and debris; in addition, 1.4 tons of scrap metal was recycled and over 40 tires were collected from the River corridor… ensuring that they will no longer threaten to pollute our land and waters! The Confluence Partnership is very grateful for the support from Sponsors, Partners, Municipalities and Volunteers that helped make the event a success! A special thanks to Missouri State Representative, Anne Zerr, for her support.
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The 34-acre Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park opened on Saturday, June 6 with a new 43-foot tall Mississippi River overlook and an open lawn for enjoying the views. This park was the dream of its namesake, Malcolm W. Martin, a St. Louis lawyer and philanthropist. It's also what architect Eero Saarinen envisioned when he finished the arch 44 years ago — a monument enveloping both shores of the Mississippi River.
Americorps trail rangers told the story of slaves during the seventh annual celebration of the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Saturday May 23, 2009 along the Riverfront Trail in north St. Louis. A group of actors dramatized the events leading up to Meachum's effort to escape from slavery in St. Louis by fleeing across the Mississippi River into Illinois. The annual celebration was held near the spot where nine slaves launched a skiff into the river May 21, 1855 in an effort to reach freedom in Illinois. Five members of the party were captured on the Illinois shore, and Meachum, a free woman of color who organized the escape effort, was charged with a stop on the underground railroad from her St. Louis home.
