Geography
Webster Groves is located at (38.587702, -90.354366)
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.9 square miles (15.3 km²), all of it land. Webster Groves is bounded on the east by Shrewsbury; on the north by Maplewood and Brentwood; on the west by Rock Hill, Glendale, Oakland, and Crestwood; and on the south by Affton and Marlborough.
History
Webster Groves is one of the more affluent communities of the Saint Louis County suburbs. The large historic homes, central location, and outstanding schools draw many families to the beautiful tree-lined streets. Webster is also noted for its strong community unity—the Fourth of July parade and carnival is a huge event that families throughout Saint Louis attend, and the Turkey Day Game is one of the most anticipated events of the year.
Webster Groves is located approximately ten miles southwest of downtown Saint Louis, in an area known to fur trappers and Missouri, Osage and Dakota Indians, until 1802, as the "Dry Ridge". In the early 1800s, this region, once a part of the Louisiana Territory, was changing from Spanish to French ownership and a system of land grants was inaugurated to promote immigration. Remember that during the early period of Spanish rule, officials gave land to settlers as a check against the English.
As part of this program, in 1802 Gregorie Sarpy was granted 6,002 acres (24 km²) by Charles de Hautte Delassus, the last Spanish Lieutenant governor. The land grant covered the major area now known as Webster Groves.
Webster Groves' location on the Pacific Railroad line led to its development as a suburb. In the late 19th century, overcrowding, congestion, and unhealthy conditions in Saint Louis prompted urban residents to leave the city for quieter, safer surroundings. In 1892 the developers of Webster Park, an early housing subdivision, promoted the new community as the "Queen Of The Suburbs," offering residents superb housing options in a country-like atmosphere, as well as a swift commute to downtown St. Louis jobs.
As a suburban municipality, Webster Groves has its origins as five separate communities along adjacent railroad lines. Webster, Old Orchard, Webster Park, Tuxedo Park, and Selma merged in 1896 in order to implement public services and develop a unified city government. Since that time, Webster Groves' tree-lined streets and abundance of single family homes have continued to attract people to the area as a "great place to live, work and play," not solely for the wealthy commuter suburb that early developers envisioned but for families that cut across all socioeconomic boundaries. The geographic and economic diversity of Webster Groves is evident in its variety of neighborhoods.
In the 1960s Webster Groves was featured in the CBS documentary 16 In Webster Groves, and its high school has, more recently, been profiled in Time. The Webster Groves High School Statesmen maintain the oldest high school football rivalry west of the Mississippi River with the Pioneers of Kirkwood High School.
Webster Groves is the former home of a number of notable people, including writer Jonathan Franzen, whose novels The Twenty-Seventh City and The Corrections draw on St. Louis (thinly disguised as St. Jude in the latter book) and Webster Groves settings. Webster Groves was also the setting for the short-lived NBC television series Lucas Tanner (1974–75), which starred David Hartman. Additionally, the famous sports announcer Harry Caray attended Webster Groves High School.
As of 2008, Gerry Welch is the mayor of Webster Groves.The Webster Groves City Council consists of councilmembers Joan Esserman, Kathy Hart, Jeanne Kirkton, Edward Robinson, Debi Salberg, and Anne Tolan.