A commemorative coffee-table book marking the 50th anniversary of the incorporation of the city of Arnold will be available for the first time Saturday, July 2, during the Independence Day Celebration.
The city will give away the 68-page book for free during the event, set for 5-11 p.m. at Arnold City Park, 2400 Bradley Beach Road, off Jeffco Boulevard near the Meramec River.
“We are giving them away because we want people to have them,” City Administrator Bryan Richison said. “We want them out in the community.
“I hope people find it interesting and cool, especially people who have been in Arnold longer and will recognize some of the older buildings from their childhood and how things used to look. I think for everybody, it will be interesting to see how the city has changed and how far we have come. I’m excited about it, and I hope people are interested in it and like it.”
The city and the Leader teamed up to produce the book, which is packed with images from the last five decades, after Beck, Flamm City, Maxville, Old Town Arnold, Tenbrook and Wickes merged in 1972 to create the city.
Along with photographs from the Leader’s archives, current and former Arnold residents submitted photographs for the book.
“The Leader is very proud of the book that has been produced with the city to celebrate Arnold’s 50th anniversary,” Leader publisher Peggy Scott said. “We hope everyone who receives a copy enjoys looking back at the city’s last 50 years and experiencing how the community has changed over the last half century. We want to thank everyone who submitted pictures for us to share in the book, and we look forward to continuing to celebrate the city’s anniversary this year.”
The city had 2,000 copies of the book printed, which cost $6,270.
Richison said the city plans to give away more copies of the book during Arnold Days, scheduled for Sept. 16-18, but the book may be available between the two events if there is a high demand.
“We will have to see how fast they move and how many we have left,” Richison said. “If they are popular and flying off the shelves, we will have to talk about ordering more copies. It is possible they may be available between Independence Day and Arnold Days at either City Hall, the rec center or both.”
A special section covering the city’s history and growth also will be published in the Leader in September prior to the city’s annual Arnold Days celebration.
The Leader encourages people to send photos taken in Arnold that they hadn’t already submitted for the coffee-table book.
Those who send photos are asked to include their names, towns and phone numbers. Their phone numbers will not be published.
People who submit photos also are asked to describe what’s depicted in the photos and give names of people in the photos and what year the photos were taken. If a photo features a building, please name it and tell us if it still exists and if not, when it was torn down, if known.
To send a photo, email it to news@leaderpublications.biz, mail it to the Leader at P.O. Box 159, Festus, 63028, or drop it off at the Leader office at 503 N. Second St. in Festus.
For more information, call the Leader office at 636-931-7560.