The Hill Visitor’s Guide 026

26 2026 | The Hill Visitor’s Guide & Business Directory History of The Hill The unique neighborhood known as “The Hill” is a 52-square block section in the south side of the city of St. Louis.The Hill’s boundaries are Manchester on the north, Kingshighway on the east, Southwest/Columbia on the south and Hampton on the west. The neighborhood lies an eighth of a mile from the highest point in the city (the former state hospital) thus earning its designation. When the first English and German immigrants arrived prior to the American CivilWar, the area was a remote five miles from the Mississippi River. Originally settled by Frenchmen Charles Gratiot and thenWilliam Sublette in the early 1800s, the area featured farm and ranch land, and a resort on the River Des Peres called Sulphur Springs. The Italian immigrants first arrived in the 1880s intending to work in the clay mines.The Hill and surrounding area held a vast deposit of high- quality clay that was ideal for brick used in industrial coal powered plants.The mines also yielded clay used for brick houses and businesses. By 1910, six foundries were fully operational in the area. continued on page 28 Brick factory workers. Mechanics at Tony’s Repair Shop, 1808 Edwards St. Date unknown.