THE WALKING TOUR
Walking tour map

THE WALKING TOUR
The Short Walk is ¾ of a mile, round trip. The Long Walk is a total of 3 miles, round trip.

  1. Officer’s Quarters of the Fort This stone building was possibly constructed from rubble left over from the Fort.
  2. National Park Service Signs The 6 lb. Period Cannon nearby was relocated from Jefferson Barracks.
  3. Grand Staircase and Lily Pond built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1936 as a scenic terrace, overlooking the Missouri River and the flatlands leading the Mississippi River beyond.
  4. Natural Spring This spring was the inspiration for the name Fort Belle Fontaine - “beautiful fountain.”
  5. Outdoor Living Room and Barbeque Pits built by the WPA in 1936.
  6. Remains of the Comfort Stations and Patio, built by the WPA in 1936.
  7. This is the site of the Foundation Quarry used for the 1805 Cantonment and 1810 Fort on the bluff. Also see the remains of a Rubble Stone Fireplace, built by the WPA in 1936.
  8. The Last Campsite of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1806, as well as the site of the First Fort Cantonment, 1805-1810, now in the middle of the Missouri River. END OF SHORT WALK. Please return from here or continue on the Long Walk along Coldwater Creek. The Creek roughly parallels Lindbergh Boulevard across the whole northern boundary of St. Louis County in a series of whiplash curves.
  9. Stone Culverts built by the WPA in 1936 are along the trail.
  10. Site of the pioneer Ezekiel Lard’s Saw and Grist Mill located on a Spanish land grant of 850 acres in 1797.
  11. Quarries for the WPA projects, 1936-1940.
  12. Remains of Shelter House of a WPA project built in 1938.
END OF LONG WALK. Please return from here. Please do not trespass onto the Police Dog Training area! Thank you!

MISSOURI HILLS HOME
Originally called Bellefontaine Farms, the Missouri Hills Home for Boys was part of a network of institutions owned by the City of St. Louis but located in St. Louis County. Established in 1913, the brick structures on this site were primarily built by the City of St. Louis as a detention home and training school for boys.

The program at the Home was rigorous, with instruction in the morning and farm work in the afternoon. Youths lived in cottages, each of which had resident ‘parents.’ The farm operation was eliminated in the 1950’s. St. Louis County acquired most of the property in 1986. In 1988, the City of St. Louis ended its participation in the Home. The Missouri Hills Home is now a residence for boys and girls under the care of the State of Missouri Division of Youth Services.

WORKS PROGRESSES ADMINISTRATION (WPA) STRUCTURES
President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression of the 1930’s. All of the WPA’s nearby limestone projects were built by WPA workers from 1936-1940, to enhance the Missouri Hills Home estate and attract visitors to the picturesque landscape.