New Ballwin Road

Location: The main road, heading south from the city of Ballwin into Castlewood.

Our memories take us to:

St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church

Location. At the south end of New Ballwin Rd, at Castlewood Rd.

A plain wooden building on top of a rise, with no landscaping. Benches, no kneelers. They would pass out fans in the heat of summer and take count of who was going to communion so there wouldn't be leftover hosts.

Photo. St Elizabeth's in its deteriorated state, taken in the 1980s. Contributed by Chuck Simpson.

St. Elizabeth's was discontinued as a church in the late 1950s, when Holy Infant parish was established in the late 1950s. The building was abandoned.

Status: Burned down (when?). The land has been cleared.

Memory. "...Also remember St.Elizabeth Catholic Church at the bottom of the hill. On Sunday the priest would ask after the homily how many people were going to communion and you would raise your hand so they could count the number of host's he had to bless for communion." [Barbara Holland, 2009]

Lone Wolf

Location. South end of New Ballwin Rd, on east side, on a large tract of land.

In the 30s and for sometime later, there was a dance floor, called The Grove. See photo on right, from Kathleen Price.

That was replaced by the Lone Wolf Club a speakeasy/tavern, owned by Eddie Pahl (Edward Pahl, 13 Sep 1908 - Jul 1979).

Photo above: Eddie Pahl on New Ballwin Rd in front of his property, facing north. The Crossroads Bar is in the left background. Circa 1940s. Photo below: inside the Lone Wolf Club. (Photos contributed by Thomas E. Kempland)

Status. The stone Lone Wolf Club building is in ruins. A Wild Life Rescue Center occupies the lot near the road. Some of the original land may be part of the Castlewood State Park.

Memory. "Across from the church [St Elizabeth's] was a dance floor where I learned to dance with my brother, Bob. That was torn down by Eddie Pahl for his place [the Lone Wolf]. We visited there often until he closed it to the public." [Kathleen Price]

Memory. "My Grandmother was Cleta Buela Alley, better known as "Sally" who lived with Eddie Pahl and (from my understanding) helped run the Lone Wolf. Sally's son was my father, William Alley, who married my mother, Rosemary Sedlmayr, who's father owned Lincoln Lodge... My memories of the Lone Wolf were way after it being a hot entertainment spot. By the time my parents took me there it was a very private club that Eddie and my Grandmother only opened up to certain friends and family and they lived in the house behind the old club. After my Grandmother died, Eddie lived there alone until his death where my father helped out with trying to maintain the property. [Lisa M. Alley]

More. See "Eddie Pahl As Remembered" by L. Alan Meyer.

Bill Breit's tavern and restaurant

Crossroads

(aka Nig's for Nig McDaniel and, later, Mike Hrin's)

Location. south end of New Ballwin Rd, on west side (see photo above)

Mike Hrin (Michael Hrin, 29 Apr 1911 - Sep 1968) operated Crossroads from ? to ?

Status. Now a duplex apartment (2009)

Memory. "There was a restaurant/bar across Pahl's place -- Nig McDaniels' (Crossroads Inn). My husband-to-be was there when I met him and the romance started. That was during WWII. We married in 1947." [Kathleen Price]

Dickinsons

Tavern, groceries and ice house near Keifer Creek Road. Owned by Russell Dickinson (commonly refered to as "Dickerson"). "Russell Dickerson was a thin man with glasses and a pointy nose. He tried to set up a water company in Castlewood, hoping to provide waterlines to the several homes on New Ballwin road. But he couldn't get enough homeowners to sign up for his services." [Chuck Simpson]

Memory. "Mr. Dickinson was my father. He passed away in 1993... I helped dad with the water system in Castlewood years ago. Our pump house was down on the Meramec river. To get to it we had to go down the steps." [Joan Dickinson Willard to SBP]