I’ve been writing about Fox Park and doing online research on just how bad it used to be from a crime perspective.
Every now and again I find a topic worth sharing.
I’ve pointed out Fox Park and other parts of the city nearly succumbed to crack and other no-dignity hobbies of the time. Crack and the crime that comes with lots of dealers and erratic, desperate addicts nearly took Fox Park and many other neighborhoods in St. Louis down with it.
We were known for it regionally, and we even made the news at the national level every now and then.
Look no further than President George H. W. Bush’s crime speech on September 28, 1992 in the Fox Park Neighborhood of St. Louis. Bush was campaigning for four more years and talking up his crime bill.
I am almost certain his speech took place at St. Francis de Sales. I’m working to corroborate this, and I’ll update this if I’m wrong.
I can’t figure out how to embed the video here, so you’ll have to click the C-SPAN link to watch.
It’s hard not to have Dana Carvey echoing in your head while watching this.
Crime was a huge topic at the height of the crack epidemic and the wake of the April - May, 1992 Los Angeles riots following the Rodney King jury acquittal of the police involved in his videotaped beating.
I was not aware of this speech, so I’ll summarize some points I found interesting from a local perspective.
Police Chief Clarence Harmon (soon to be Mayor) introduced the President.
President Bush was flanked by Senators John Danforth and Phil Gramm.
President Bush mentioned his mom (Dorothy) was from St. Louis and his brother and cousin live here. I’ll let you research if that is all true, I think West County seems more likely…
He cited 506 violent crimes that occurred in Fox Park in 1992.
He called out “thugs”, “gang massacres” and “dead beat dads”. Can you imagine an acting president doing that in our city today? Trump maybe would have said that, but I don’t think he would have stepped foot in Fox Park.
He was impressed with what our community was doing to help youth involved in drug trading, and specifically mentioned the success of Weed and Seed and C.O.P.S. programs making real changes in Fox Park.
He spoke of a recent Ohio Avenue crack house raid where the busted dealers were brought out in handcuffs. The neighbors came out on their porches and cheered, “Maybe some of you were there. That is what this country is hungry for.”, he said.
He said, “I know there’s a craving, I know you just want to walk down to “Werth’s Market (?), or down to Fox Park for a stroll, or over to Barnett’s grocery store for a newspaper or Mary’s Restaurant for a cup of coffee, even though she is a Democrat (laughter and applause); and you want to do it knowing you are safe in your own neighborhood that you’ve helped build and kept alive.”
Barnett’s Market is still open in nearby Tower Grove East
He retold a story about a conversation he had with local Fox Parkers (John and Eleanor Margot sp?). “He (John) knows about that crack house on Ohio (Avenue). He said he and his wife Eleanor have been thinking about selling their house and moving away from the drugs and ugly crime but he’s lived in Fox Hill (he meant Park) his whole life; it’s his neighborhood. And, after the raid, he and Eleanor did some thinking and said ‘you know, I’ve been waiting for this to happen and now we’re going to make a stand’.”
History is just around the corner in St. Louis.
Updated April 1, 2021 - After a conversation with DeSales Community Development to confirm the location of the President Bush visit, I was informed that President Bill Clinton gave a speech on the ball field at Fox Park on June 24, 1994. We were at the epicenter of the “tough on crime” era.
Crime was top of mind at the highest levels of government. The crack epidemic devastated this area and both Bush and Clinton chose to come here. You can see the difference in styles of both Presidents. In this CSPAN video, Clinton visits with neighbors sitting on their stoops in Fox Park.
Clinton rode the Metrolink from Lambert to Union Station and was driven to Fox Park where he talked about the “Summer of Safety” program and benefits of urban living.
Janet Reno, then Attorney General, also visited DeSales on August 27, 1997.
