Malcolm Martin Memorial Park

Early this morning my dad picked me up in his big rig and I rode with him to take a load of corn to the grain elevator on the riverfront. I enjoy doing this once in a while to spend time with my dad but today I had an ulterior motive. I knew that next to the grain elevator was a small park with viewing tower facing the St. Louis riverfront. It's fairly new and very pretty.

Dad said he had watched it being built during his trips to the grainery. At the top of the viewing tower sits a statue of Malcolm Martin, the man who dreamed up the park and championed for it to be built. Dad said that statue was up there while they were still in the construction phase. Dad wondered for a long time what kind of lazy construction worker was up there sitting around all the time. From the loading area of the grainery, it does look very much like a real person.

Besides the viewing tower, it also sports a man-made geyser which shoots water 600 feet into the air, high enough to match the height of the St. Louis Arch. I would like to go back and get photos of that someday as well as a sunset or nighttime shot (MB).

I really like this view because I think it shows St. Louis at it's roots: a pretty city with the river still as an important part of it's industry.




I think this one is my favorite though because it shows my dad's truck in the foreground.








Below is the grain elevator where my dad takes most of our farm's grain which usually goes from the elevator right onto a barge on the river. It's a huge and very industrial place. The yellow is a casino on the other side of the grainery. It's kind of odd having the grainery between the casino and this beautiful park but I guess it was there long before the touristy stuff and they refuse to sell out.



The rest of the day was spent helping Dad and E tile the rest of the backsplash. Now for grout. And the floor. And the trim. And painting. etc. etc. etc.