Standing 630 feet tall with a base measuring 630 feet wide, the Gateway Arch serves as a reminder of the role that St. Louis played in the westward expansion of the United Sates. Located on the banks of the Mississippi River, the stainless steel arch is a part of the Jefferson Expansion Memorial which also includes the Museum of Westward Expansion and St. Louis’ Old Court House. The memorial is dedicated to President Thomas Jefferson and the pioneers who played various roles in settling the American West.

In 1947, Eero Saarinen entered and won a national design contest for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. For the memorial’s defining feature, Saarinen envisioned a gateway in the form of a catenary arch. A catenary curve can be simulated when a chain is suspended between two points. Although he died in 1961, the project continued and was completed in 1965.

St. Louis’ Old Court House is also a contributing structure to the memorial. Most notably, the court house severed as the initial site of the infamous Dred Scott trials, which eventually appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Dred Scott was a slave who filed a law suit against his owner in 1846, claiming a right to freedom. Today, the beautifully restored court house contains a museum focusing on the history of St. Louis.

The Memorial’s Museum of Westward Expansion features murals, artifacts and exhibits telling the story of the American Westward Expansion with specific emphasis on the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Researched, written, and narrated by University of West Florida Public History Student Wesley Meiss.