I made it back out to the
hamlet of Centaur, which is now being swallowed up by suburban development. It's slow, I should say, as this McMansion has been under construction now for years, and seems abandoned. I finally figured out where the quarry is; it is now fenced in as private property, but you can clearly see the
hole in the cliff.
The old town store and post office sits in much the same state as I saw it two years ago.
The school house has been restored, and now looks great. I find this little town infinitely fascinating; the standard narrative of the history of St. Louis County is one of growth, but it bears mentioning that some parts have actually seen their population decline greatly, from a previous life as a quarry town or rural stopover deep in the wilderness.
I commented on your 2009 Centaur blog post and will comment again, as I'm still reading this most interesting blog. I love the area's sylvan setting and evocative names...Centaur, Monarch, Gumbo, Wild Horse, and even Pond. These names were authentic and not subdivisions named for the forests or farms which were destroyed in the construction process.
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