Mayor Henry Kiel of Saint Louis

This tree honors Henry Kiel, who served as mayor of Saint Louis from nineteen thirteen to nineteen twenty five, three full terms, an unusually long run for the city in that era. Kiel came from a contracting family and was a builder at heart. His signature achievement was pushing through a massive bond issue in nineteen twenty three that funded a wave of civic projects, including a grand new municipal auditorium downtown.

The city later renamed that building Kiel Auditorium in his honor. For decades it hosted everything from operas and political conventions to basketball games and rock concerts. The tree here is a quiet civic tribute to a mayor who left his mark in concrete and steel across Saint Louis.