Manchester, Our Road Through Time

James Sutton chose well when he picked the site that is now the intersection of Manchester and Big Bend for his blacksmithing and iron forging business 170+ years ago. It’s still a good site for business.

This intersection of the road to the state capitol and the road leading to the Big Bend of the Meramec River is the location of the first residential and commercial activity that grew to become the city of Maplewood.

From 1926 through 1933, Manchester Road through the city of Maplewood was part of the first alignment of the now mythical Mother Road, Route 66. After 1933 the alignment was changed to travel along Watson Road because of heavy traffic.

Folks interested in the history of the city of Maplewood would do well to pick up a copy of Maplewood, the First Hundred Years, available at the and and also and .  The cost is just $20 for 130 historic photo packed pages.  All profit goes to benefit the .