My Wildwood Roots

My roots in Ward 6 run about as deep as they can get. My family has called western Wildwood home since the 1850’s, and my great-grandparents’ 1870’s farmstead is just downhill from my house. Mom attended Hollow School, and Dad went to the Pond Schoolhouse. 

My land has passed down to me via Mom, Grandpa, and my dear Aunt "Bebe", a well-known local horticulturalist and historian. Grandpa was a Meramec Township Constable, and from 1917 through the late 1960's his auto service station and fuel oil business stood where my mailbox is today. The home he built with help from his dad, cousins, brothers and neighbors, stood alongside Hwy 100 (formerly Route 66) until the widening project in the early 1970's. 

My whole family hunted, fished, and gathered all over this area, all year long. I rode along to visit virtually every merchant that served our area, going back to the late 50's. I have fond memories of old-timey general stores from Mrs. Wetzel’s out to Head’s, where "Miz May" had my photo posted behind the cash register. I walked down to Poertner's Store on summer days to see "Miz Annie".

From such experiences, I gained a detailed knowledge of both the social and the natural histories of rural Wildwood. Poor local planning decisions tend to fade that rich history, affecting not only the rest of my own life, but those of future generations.