The Gateway Arch located in St. Louis, Missouri is a symbol of the American West. It is a symbol of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the cowboys and Indians, the mountain men, the Gold Rush, and the Louisiana Purchase. Many things have come to shape the West, and this Gateway is our looking glass to see what has become of the American West.
The Gateway Arch is the tallest monument on American soil, penetrating the St. Louis skyline at 630 feet. It was built in four years, from 1961 – 1965. It was built by a man named Eero Saarinen, who won the competition for its design in 1947. But why was it built? Why an Arch? and What does this mean to American Society?
In 1804 Lewis & Clark were put on an expedition to explore the land out west after President Thomas Jefferson acquired the Louisiana Purchase. The two explorers were to travel out to the Pacific Ocean keeping a record of everything they saw, collect data about the wildlife and the people living on the lands. They started in what is today St. Louis at the mouth of the Missouri River, where it hits the Mississippi River, which is the separation line between the great states of Missouri and Illinois. In fact in St. Louis as you walk along the river there is a statue of two men and a dog in the river, just crossing over into Missouri. This is where westward expansion began. They traveled for two years until they finally reached their destination, the Pacific Ocean. This set the foundation for the expansion out west, and the symbol for what is to be known as the Gateway Arch.
The Gateway Arch is not only just a monument sitting in the great state of Missouri, but when you first visit the Arch, you realize there below the Arch is where a plethora of activities are located. Underneath the Arch there is a circular museum of Westward Expansion, which lets you travel all through the 1800 to the early 1900s. The back wall depicts the entire Lewis and Clark Expedition, and details all of the letters that were sent back to the president from the two adventurers. Also below the Arch, there are two movie theaters. One the day that my wife and I went, they were playing “The Great American West” and “Alaska: Spirit of the Wild”. We decided to watch “The Great American West”, which is actually a pretty informative film about how the West was won. Another experience that you can take at the Gateway Arch is a ride to the top. For about ten dollars, you can take a capsule up to the top of the Arch where you can look out of the windows and have incredible views of St. Louis, Illinois, Cardinal Stadium, and much more. It really is breathtaking being up that high. There is also a gift shop underneath the Arch, and an old-fashioned 1800s store. My wife decided to pick up some taffy in this store, which was pretty good. We enjoyed the taffy outside the Arch near the ponds that surround it.
So why an Arch and what does it mean to American Society? The Arch is a symbol for a gateway to expansion. At the time, The Louisiana Purchase was being written into history, and it symbolizes the trip of Lewis and Clark. When you get the chance to reach the top of the Arch it is amazing looking out of the windows and seeing THE WEST!
