Far out in western St. Louis County are the remnants of past industries, towns and plantations. The hamlet of Centaur, now just a part of Chesterfield, is one such example of a place where people lived and worked in greater numbers than now. See it from the air
here.
The large building sitting near the tracks appears to be an old station or hotel that is still in relatively good condition. According to the
Chestefield city website, the town was founded around the Centaur Lime Company, now long defunct.
And finally, perhaps the most mysteriously named road in St. Louis County, Old Slave Road. Most logically, the name--which is not signed at the road's intersection with Wild Horse Creek Road--denotes a place where a plantation existed or freed slaves once lived.
Something tells me the inhabitants of the road nowadays are a little embarrassed of the name, hence the lack of a road sign. You can see it from the air
here.
Far out in western St. Louis County are the remnants of past industries, towns and plantations. The hamlet of Centaur, now just a part of Chesterfield, is one such example of a place where people lived and worked in greater numbers than now. See it from the air here.
The large building sitting near the tracks appears to be an old station or hotel that is still in relatively good condition. According to the Chestefield city website, the town was founded around the Centaur Lime Company, now long defunct.
And finally, perhaps the most mysteriously named road in St. Louis County, Old Slave Road. Most logically, the name--which is not signed at the road's intersection with Wild Horse Creek Road--denotes a place where a plantation existed or freed slaves once lived.
Something tells me the inhabitants of the road nowadays are a little embarrassed of the name, hence the lack of a road sign. You can see it from the air here.
I just drove through Centaur for the first time a month ago. I had driven Eatherton Rd. many times and never detoured through Centaur but it was worth it. The following link contains photos of the old Centaur depot. I enjoy reading your blog, especially your posts on little known or out of the way places.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.missouridepots.com/centaur-crip-1915.htm
I used to work with a lot of maps on behalf of an insurance company. "Old Slave Rd" is one of the nicer throwback street names I've come across.
ReplyDeleteThere is a "Hanging N***** Rd" in Allegheny County, PA. And a "N****** Skull Rd" Somewhere in GA. No idea if they're marked as such on the street.