Situated south of Missouri’s Highway 40 is a stretch of land known locally as Dogtown. However, its formal moniker is Clayton Tamm, due to the street names that help map out its borders. It received its informal nickname more than 200-years ago, thanks to a strong connection to the mining industry. In its heyday, the community housed many Irish immigrants and the venues they frequented, including the St. James the Greater Church and White House Tavern. Coincidently, many of the homes built in the area are brick, which may have been fashioned out of the area’s inherent, underground supply of clay. It was just one of the two substances the immigrants helped mine from the earth. The other happened to be coal.
Today, Dogtown remains one of the greatest places in St. Louis to get in touch with one’s Irish roots. For starters, you’d be hard-pressed not to find signs of three and four-leaf clovers. Plus, there are places to grab Irish food and beverages, but that’s not all. Every year the Ancient Order of Hibernians hold what has to be one of the most popular, anticipated St. Patrick’s Day Parades in all of Missouri. According to the organization’s research, the Dogtown community has been celebrating the well-loved holiday in one form or another since March 1820. The parade, however, didn’t become a part of the festivities until the early 1980s. They also note that the first City Mayor, City Sheriff, State Senator and Governor were all Irishmen. The same may be said for the city’s very first journalist, Joseph Charless.
If you decide to visit in time for the parade or shortly thereafter, consider stopping by one of the local eateries or Keiner Plaza for a pint. Some of the top places to consider are O’Connells, Pat’s Bar & Grill and Seamus McDaniels. They all serve amazing foods and Irish libations. At select times of the year, you may also get to enjoy a bit of live entertainment. To learn more about the pubs and other places to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in and around Dogtown, please contact us. At RE/MAX St. Louis, we’ve been successfully helping people establish roots in the area for years.
