This park was once the frontier farm of Frederick Bates, Missouri's second governor, and includes his 1820s home. The park also has a number of historical buildings reconstructed on this site. It is a lovely, photogenic area: photos of a wedding party were being shot here, and a professional photographer was taking pictures of an aspiring young fashion model.
The park is located on the bluffs above the flood plain of the Missouri River, and is bounded on one side by Olive Boulevard. This thoroughfare is also known as "Olive Street Road", being an extension of Olive Street in downtown Saint Louis, and before that it was "Central Plank Road", a street expensively paved with wooden boards. This old wagon reminds us of this history.
Goods destined for the Western interior of the continent could not be directly shipped up the Mississippi River to the Missouri River, due to navigation hazards near the confluence of those rivers. Instead, they had to be unloaded from the boats in Saint Louis, and shipped overland to the Missouri River, where they would be loaded back into boats for delivery to points west. This overland route became Olive Boulevard. It was along this historical road that Governor Bates placed his farm. He had convenient transportation both to Saint Louis, and to the state capital, which at that time was located at nearby Saint Charles.
Numerous large Black Walnut trees here remind us that this was once a pioneer settlement. The walnuts are found inside of these baseball-sized husks. Extraction of the nuts is difficult and messy, and the nuts have to be cured before they can be eaten. Besides providing an excellent nut, the wood of these trees is highly valued.
Faust Park is also home to the Butterfly House, which is landscaped with varieties of flowers, like these, especially attractive to butterflies and bees.
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