Bevo Mill, We're All Immigrants

By Leah Merriman

Piece description from the artist

Growing up in St. Louis, I have vivid memories of running errands with my grandparents in the early mornings of my summer vacations. We went in the morning because there was no air conditioning in the car. I don't know if you've ever experienced a summer in St. Louis, let alone one experienced in the backseat of a small, gray sedan with black interior, but it's barely survivable. Humidity, even at 7 o'clock in the morning on a ripe St. Louis day, is something your lungs will never let you forget. We would buzz along the early morning weekday traffic of South City, my thighs burning and sticking to the pleather seats in the summer sun, and my grandparents continuously point out places of interest along our particular day's route. The Bevo Mill, originally built in 1916 by August Busch Sr. as a resting half-way point between Anheuser-Busch Brewery and his home at Grant's Farm, is a South St. Louis attraction never to be missed. It was eventually open to the public as a restaurant known for it's German cuisine. Every time it was pointed out to me as we drove past I was told about the historical importance of the large German settlement in St. Louis in the Bevo area and adjoining "Dutchtown" neighborhood. Interestingly enough, these trips all occurred in the mid-90's when South St. Louis had been in decline for quite some time. Violence was up, crime was up, but in a delightfully American turn of events, immigrants came to the rescue. As the Bosnian-Croatian war raged in the mid-90's, St. Louis's neglected South City neighborhoods found themselves suddenly revived and invigorated by the influx of refugees who found their solace in this River City. St. Louis is now home to over 70,000 Bosnian immigrants, the largest American Bosnian population in the country. So to me, that windmill signifies so much more than the ideal brunch. It's a symbol of this city's ability to accept and love our neighbors. It's a symbol of the vibrance and community which can be created, preserved, and restored through cultural diversity, acceptance, and education. The Germans gave us our beer, but the Bosnians gave us back South St. Louis. We're all from somewhere but we're here together now, so love your neighbor and be loved in return.