Construction of the Gateway Arch, St. Louis Documentary Film (1965)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ม.ค. 2021
- An Academy Award-nominated production (Best Documentary Feature, 1966) by the Jefferson National Expansion Historical Association.
The Gateway Arch was and is commonly seen variously as a symbol of patriotic American ingenuity and engineering honoring pioneering European / Colonial settler ancestors, as an equally potent and graphic symbol of a 'triumphal' conclusion to often brutal acquisitions of Native territory still recalled then by surviving Elders, a highly questionable use of public money (at least for its time), a lucrative project which illegally sidelined colored contractors, or a project which removed, partially, an already notable and historic waterfront. Perhaps it is all of these and perhaps it has yet to define itself in other ways over time.
Certainly, speaking for itself artistically, geometrically and architecturally, the Gateway Arch is an strikingly elegant, sublime and impressionable landmark built at great risk to life and limb which greatly changed the symbolic and cultural destiny of historic St. Louis and marked an era of mid-century and midwestern pragmatic optimism. It was meant to stand and to defy. Polite and informative comments and memories are welcome!
Note the historic passenger river steamer SS "Admiral" in the Mississippi River that was present for the topping off ceremony, built in 1904 as the "Albatross", rebuilt in 1937 into its silver streamlined condition seen here, and scrapped in 2011 after a failed preservation effort.
This is posted purely for educational purposes and, like the rest of my Channel, is not monetized.
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This film inspired me as a kid and it is still inspirational for me today. It motivated me to become an engineer.
Engineering is amazing! The leaps & bounds over a relatively short period is also amazing.
That's very cool.
nice blued eyed engineer
Hey brother what are thoughts on getting a mechanical engineering degree. I'm almost 43 years old For me experienced I'm aircraft Mechanic us army, diesel mechanic
@@benjk31 I think that would be a great thing to do. Your aircraft mechanic experience will be really helpful.
As a Ironworker the arch has a special place in my heart . I was able to work with so many of the ironworkers that worked on the arch . I beleave there is still1ironworker living that worked on it . It has been on local 395 union emblem for many years . As a nation we should all be proud for such a feat .
Worked with a superintendent who's dad was a laborer on this project. Helped pour the concrete.
I was an ironworker also Local 433 Los Angeles & Las Vegas. Many years later I lived in St Louis and looking at the arch man I don't know If I could have done that 😂 I have done and been in some sketchy situations but that arch is insane. Props to those ironworkers they has some massive balls
I know one he's my buddy's dad and a real good man
Yes we should.
I couldn't agree more. Such a wonderful achievement by Americans
My family lived in a neighborhood across the river from the Arch in the town called Cahokia during the 60s. My brother and I would watch the daily construction of the monument from our front yard. I remember the day they finally joined both legs and how excited the whole community was. It was a special time. The baseball Cardinals were having a great run and the Arch was the center of attention through out the metro area. I live in the Ozarks now and unfortunately the town of Cahokia is no longer a beautiful place to live anymore. But I'll never forget the 60s having the privilege of watching the daily construction of this magnificent monument and the memories are so precious to me.
Cheers to the Gateway Arch.
Grew up in Cahokia on lazercheff st , everything was brand new and nice including the park now I hear it's a thug wasteland
@@dylankopff5062 : You're right about that. I grew up in Cahokia in the late 60's, early 70's. The village has become just what you said. Many buildings boarded up and burned out. It's a true shame as it was such a nice community. We moved away in the mid 70's and seeing it now, it's a crying shame. 😭
@@carolwalters7069
I too grew up through the 60s in Cahokia and my folks moved us out of there in the early 70s. The junior high and high school were starting to get bad ( which I'm not gonna elaborate on that ), so most the original homeowners started moving out. We moved to the Lindbergh school district in St.Louis county on the Missouri side where I finished high school. And now I live in the Ozark area where I will make my final stand. But I recently passed through the Cahokia area on a trip east when I took time to hop off 255 at 157 near the subdivision I grew up in. As I drove through the neighborhood I was horrified at the decay and every 4th or 5th house was burnt out just like you said and many of them still had the charred remains still standing. One house that was where one of my best childhood friends use to live was completely gone and over grown with weeds. I couldn't get us out of there fast enough and them images still haunt me today. What was once a well kept beautiful neighborhood you could call paradise now looks like an epic battle took place. This is what lies just across the river from the magnificent Arch. Truly sad 😭
@@TS-wh4ey: I agree. My old house on East 5th St. in St. Joseph Gardens is in an area where the homes are still maintained. Seems like St. Joseph Gardens is one of the better ones. My husband's subdivision, just across route 3 from St. Joseph Gardens, is St. John's which is worse off. Many of those homes are burned out or in bad shape. It is sad as you said. I remember being able to walk all over Cahokia and not having to worry about being snatched or robbed, etc, but now, I wouldn't raise my family there any longer. The schools are even worse than they were when your family left. It's a sign of the times we are living in and I've no doubt that due to the neglect, corruption and lawlessness going on world wide these days, that we will soon see the collapse of a mostly civil society that we as kids lived in, and it will be gone. I believe anarchy will become the unholy norm. And if the governments think that gun sales are high now, it will get worse with worsening conditions. We of the "old school" were right when many of us said that the losening of societal norms would only make things worse. Look at the results we have now. People with evil intent are behind it all whether they are government officials or just the regular public. Biblical scripture prophesied it all at 2 Timothy, chapter 3, verses 1 to 5. These scriptures describe exactly what we are seeing in society today. Those scriptures relate: 1 "But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, 3 having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, 4 betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, 5 having an appearance of godliness but proving false to its power; and from these turn away."
With all of this happening, it's no wonder that we are seeing the destruction of the society that we used to live in.😢
@@carolwalters7069
Well said my fellow Cahokian.
My folks first house was on St. Stephens near the high school.
I would walk down the street to Penniman elementary grade school and be able to come home for lunch break. That front yard is where my brother and I were able to observe the daily construction of the Arch. In the mid 60s my folks moved to another house in the Bridgedale subdivision on the other side of town. Us kids would ride our bikes up and down the levee roads behind the neighborhood all the way down past Triple Lakes Road to Dupo. In the winter the levee would freeze over and we would all play hockey.
We lived like Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. But once the schools were forced to admit students from outside the community, them schools went bad quickly. As the original families began moving away, buyers were coming south from the Centerville, East St. Louis area and the results are now plain to see. I'm thankful to be in a rural community here in the Missouri Ozarks where folks treasure the same values our parents did back in those days. Small farms are prevalent out here. Plenty of gardens and plenty of game to survive on. And plenty of Second Amendment supporters. Those urban areas are not where I would want to be if and when society does collapse in our country. But as you pointed out, it is written in Biblical scripture, and much of it has already come to past. I've been prepping up most of my life and now it's time to prepare even more for the uncertain.
Been a pleasure sharing the memories with ya and the best of luck to you and be careful out there.
I miss the old documentaries with the calming music. Everything nowadays has to be fast, funny and in your face.
Thank you! Yes. To learn is to be able sit back, to know where you really are and enjoy the experience.
Major credit to the camera operators who got these incredible shots!
My Uncle was a film developer for the camera crew. Hence the high quality for the time in history. He passed away in 1992.
@@jeffreyjohn2037
This was before drones, they did it all the hard way
"Cameramen" would have required less effort to type.
As a person who is afraid 2ft off the planet surface, i am in awe of these human lions. The amount of precision in the construction is incredible.
Hahaha.I'm the same way, my moto is " No higher than corn, and no lower than potatoes "
@@Mars-77 Hysterically funny, but me too! That trip in the 'car' up the arch could well tip me over the edge mentally.
They got a hell of alot more balls than I will ever have 💪🏼
🇺🇸My Uncle Charlie Mesmer was one of the engineers on this project.Saddly he passed a few years later from lung cancer.My Aunt Vi his wife,donated a few 8mm films to the museum.May God Bless their souls&all whom created this Great Monument & other Monuments in the United States Of America 🇺🇸
All the best to your family. And my sincere condolences.
Love from Canada
Born and raised in St. Louis I was in middle school as the Arch was being built. I remember seeing the keystone set into place which was the last piece that joined the two legs of the structure together. Years past and I eventually worked at a company that was located on Market Street a short distance from the Arch and a couple of blocks from the old Busch Stadium. I left St. Louis and relocated to Florida on a job transfer. In 2018 I returned for my school's 50th reunion. While there, I took a tour of the Arch with a close friend and his wife. All of this has brought back memories of decades long past.
Until today, 07JAN23, I didn't know the Arch is clad in stainless steel. I always thought it was a concrete and re bar affair. Nor did I know it's cross section was triangular. Now I want to see it, in person, more than ever. This film had me holding my breath and squirming in my seat, much of the time, as I watched them climbing around on the project, several hundred feet in the air, with zero safety harnesses. YIKES!
Love it or hate it, The Gateway Arch is positively am engineering marvel.
Yeah it truly is beautiful & more amazing to see close up. Like most things u dont appreciate it until u experience it or until its gone.
I find it incredible as an engineer, that NO SAFETY HARNESSES are seen on ANYONE and no one was killed! I have been up the arch and it still amazes me every time I see it HOW they made it so accurately back in the days before computers, internet, modern construction sytems etc. The arch is a true work of art and changes colour with the time of day or year.
Omg i KNOW! I worked as a rigger for several years, and currently a tower hand. Ive been up pretty high, but nothing over 500 feet. So not as high as the Arch, or alot of TV and radio towers. But watching these guys work without harnesses, even on the work platform they have up there, makes me cringe so hard!! If this project was done today, every single worker who was any higher than 4 feet up would have been harnessed up and tied off to an anchoring point someone. Everyone would be. How anyone wasnt killed is truly remarkable and impressive.
I didn't know it changed color
Within 1/64th of an inch tolerance at the joint at the top! btw, they did use computer comparisons of the figuring.
@@tashalynn29 - I think just reflections of the sun, moon, and atmospheric light/ city lights, etc. Although by now, they might have illuminated it with LEDs so IDK.
@@ultrakool and the smart phone you have in your pocket today would be more powerful!!.
The company my farther worked for in the sixties built itself a new office block, Severn floors including one floor for THE computer, complete with technicians in white coats, fantastic for its day but let's not even think of making comparisons to anything we have now.
I saw the arch when I visited the States in 99, a truly impressive monument and the taper just adds to the feeling of height and elegance. We actually went to see a big boy, and that was also hugely impressive, was a good trip.
As an Ironworker local 7 Boston it swells my heart with pride to see how great America was back then and it saddens me to see how far we've fallen as a country. When was the last time we as a country put something beautiful together like that?
One World Trade Center? Albeit grossly overpriced and delayed, but a beautiful construction project to go along with the monument and Oculus train station. It's because we outsourced real work decades ago, now we have to get all the supplies sent to us from China and workers from Mexico 🤦♂️
One world trade.
My neighbor built a pole barn. Does that count?
Retired Carpenter local 33.
No safety harnesses, and not a man was lost...yeah, those were a different type of people, we had not gone soft yet. This is the America that put a Man on the Moon.
I was a kid in St. Louis when it was getting built, and it was fun to watch the progress. I have home movies (8mm) of them putting in the final piece. My brother and I would take a bus downtown after school and sell newspapers (at a very young age). And we discovered everything we could get into, there. I cannot tell you all the stories here. They used to play this video at the Old Courthouse, and we'd go watch it. My brother and I were at the top when they brought the Santa Maria ship up the Mississippi to St. Louis. I'd been on the Admiral many, many times.
There are agencies that purchase old historic home movies and use them as background shots for new movies set in the period. Plus it;s a good way for your film to get a long life.
I was a young boy living in Belleville, Illinois (about 15 miles away) when they built the arch. It was fascinating for me to watch it's progress from a hilltop near my home.
My Dad said the same thing. He grew up in East St Louis. He used to watch them from the bluffs right there in Belleville, near the Signal Hill area.
Driving down the hill westward on Rt 15, just before the Rt 157 exit, still offers a great view of it.
My mom's side of yhe family is from Belleville....spent many of summers going to yhe gateway.
@@mattjack3983 me too ! we could watch & see them working from our upstairs windows - we lived on the bluff in Signal Hill (& went to Signal Hill Grade School 1964-1970) - what an awesome & unforgettable experience !! ♥
What a time to be alive... I envy you sir .
Amazing how we used to construct projects like this with hard work, guts and a sliderule! Truly incredible and inspiring!
I still have three of my old slide rules! Kudos to all who were involved, amazing!
Men these days in the construction industry need Vagisil more than the average woman! I'm a blacktop paving guy, hard work and guts isn't in these young men's vocabulary. On another note, props to all involved in the building of this amazing structure! 🙏💪💯🇺🇲
All of which are gone today
The engineers, mathematics, great steel men and no computers built this .It is a credit to all involved.i hope to visit one day.
They had computers in the 1960's. Computers put a man on the moon.
The documentary said they compared measurements with computer projections.
Seeing these guys that high up with not one harness on set off my anxiety so bad!🫣😱
This is fabulous! The arch fascinated me as a kid when we visited on one of the many field trips and band competition trips with school. I was more enamored with the realization that the thing was metal and spent entirely too much time for any normal little girl inspecting the outside construction...my friends were not so intrigued. Oddly enough, I grew up to be a certified welder!
Such a SHERO! Awesome story! WELL DONE YOU!
Girls are great welders. They never drop a dime.
I never gave engineers credit, but this thing is freaking awesome. Some brave men put themselves and equipment to the test.
Building the arch was an amazing piece of engineering and luck given this predates OSHA. No one working on the arch had any safety harnesses. It's amazing that no one lost their life.
Absolutely. They had grit back then.
They had GUTS!
That’s why I’m so appreciative of the Arch; the Men that built it were Nerves of Steel.
pretty sure at least 1 did i could be wrong
Back then people had a brain and common sense.
My great uncle was the man who placed the last piece of the arch before it was complete. 😎❤️🤘🏻
Liar
@@AlphaFlight LOL!
Our first muslim POTUS would say to your great uncle....."You didn't build that!"
@@mikegee8875 no clown but I do know this for sure there were no black Iron Workers that worked on the Gateway Arch and it had nothing to do with a so-called Muslim president those are the facts because of racism in the city of St. Louis trade unions in the fifties and sixties! Black retired Union ironworker 40 years local 396 St. Louis Missouri. I have personally worked with men that worked on the Gateway Arch so you can keep that line of bigoted whiny BS to yourself.
there were 5 white men that put that in place.. ..not one. And certainly not black..nice try chico
The Arch was built by a company called Pitt Demoines, which was bought out by Chicago Bridge & Iron. It was an amazing feat of engineering. I worked for CB&I for 30 years. Very proud of the work they did as well as CB&I.
My Great Uncle Mike “Mickey” McCann…is in there SOMEWHERE!!! He LOVED being part of this construction project…
I remember driving through St Louis and seeing the arch. It was amazing. Unfortunately, the rest of the city looked severely dilapidated. All the work these men put into building our cities and much of that is being forgotten. These types of structures were built to signify the pride of what we have accomplished as a civilization.
Exactly
... and now the demonrats are ruining all of it ...
If you want it, you have to work for it. The city looks dilapidated because of Bill Clinton. Just like pioneers on the Oregon trail, the best and the brightest went West leaving St. Louis to Bill Clinton's dark complected fatherless families.
Yes unfortunately many parts of St Louis are a ghetto
What an accomplishment the arch was! I remember as a kid (now nearing 70) my parents taking me to the top. Leaning way over to look out the windows and feeling the arch sway. Never knew how it was built till this video. Truly inspiring!
My grandfather lived in downtown Saint Louis and as a boy I remember looking out his window and seeing the top of the arch coming together. This film brought back those memories. The engineering and construction is a great example of what this country is capable of. I hope our leaders and our young do not loose site of this.
Long story short: if you haven’t visited the arch and taken the elevator ride up to the top, then you need to do it. Just do it. You’ll never forget it. And be sure to have a camera on you one way or another.
AMAZING EFFORT Y'ALL.
I was in diapers in 1964, so the arch MUST be 60 this year.
May God Bless & protect this worthy monument & effort for Generations to come !
I think I saw this in the early 1980s when we went to visit the Gateway Arch it was an introductory film at the visitor center. At 26:14, I still get really emotional when I see the American flag on the peace that they're hauling up to complete the arch.
It means so much to me, philosophically speaking, that no one lost their life erecting this purest of all humanity’s monuments. This structure says whatever the observer decides. No agenda, just pure inspiration and effort.
And nobody was wearing harnesses and fall protection gear.
I can vividly remember our Mechanical Drawing class teacher in high school showing us this very film and how awe inspiring it was to me then and still is today. What an amazing feat of engineering and a testament to what I fear is a lost heart to build such great structures as these just because and not for more office space to sell. Thanks for posting this.
This is in everyway incredible. My left leg got sweaty watching this lol ... Nerves got me once they were connecting the top. The fact that man created this in the 1960's is such an amazing accomplishment. It's wonderful that nobody lost their lives and they succeeded in this wonderful achievement. Those men had every right to be proud the rest of their lives . To see these hard working men smoke their cigarettes while working makes me proud to be an American .. and makes me have pride in each one of these hard working men. I know it's strange what we find prideful as Americans but to watch these men work and do this without safety harnesses and get the job done is so great . This is what makes me proud to be an American . Hard working men like this ... God bless
Anytime you go to work on construction especially large projects what ever is going on in your life you leave at the gate and keep your head in the game not the damn cell phone seen to many close calls from distracted people. If you don't believe that this might be your last day on this earth you're kidding yourself and worst YOU might be the cause of someone else being killed
@@danhigbee2283 very understandable. I work in a warehouse stacking boxes on pallets .and the other day had my mind occupied with the mother of my children , just petty nonsense and it had me forgetting my paper work, having to recount my boxes ... And that's just while working in a warehouse .. literally nothing compared to what these men are doing . But it made me realize that my mind being consumed with stuff aside from what's in front of me such as my work and being occupied on other things results in little mishaps like counting lol... I can only imagine the severity that can come with these guys or those similar doing projects that can bring upon death or horrific Injuries . That's why I can't say how amazing it is that all these guys went home safe after work after years of this kind of work . Once again hats off to them
Somehow the entire film managed to ignore the architect who conceived this monument. For the record, it was Eero Saarinen, famous for his daring structures such as the TWA terminal at JFK airport in NYC and the Dulles airport terminal outside Washington DC.
That's because at no point was his life in danger of building it.
@@NONO-ic6fe hell yeah, 💪 people don’t understand it never ever goes up or in like they draw it out, it’s all the iron workers equipment operators and laborers that make it work no matter what we figure it out and it comes out lookin just like they planned it. This is a video about those guys not the architect.
@@burtbrooks7731 I have been up in the arch the one thing that impressed me the most was the welding of all the sheets of steel beautiful beads
@Michael Jarosz
Maybe you need to watch the video again. He was mentioned @ 1:40.✌️
@@davidsignor7931 I agree! Fantastic welding! And not done under idea conditions, like a cozy office with a nice chair planted firmly and safely on an office floor.
I'm not afraid of extreme heights, I'm afraid of extreme stopping when I hit the ground. Gravity really sucks (sucks you to ground).
This was by far one of the most challenging metal monument projects in our history. Hard to believe they accomplished this in the 60's. When you look at Arch today, it looks like it is brand new due to use of stainless steel outsider skin. Some minor discoloration, but it is still spectacular. Until they got the 2 sides locked together with a temporary truss, both unsupported legs would move a lot in the wind. Workers needed sea legs working in the clouds. When the final piece was placed, entire structure became more rigid.
When they spread the two halves apart 4 feet, it put inside of arch into compression. This added to overall strength of finished arch. The tendons that ran from top down to underground foundation were tightened, this put outside of arch into tension. With both compression and tension, the finished arch was now strong enough to resist worse storms imaginable.
I lived in East St. Louis in '65, went to Cahokia High School and was privileged to see the Arch go up.
In some of the shots from above on the Arch you will see a large silver boat docked near the riverfront. That boat was called “The Admiral”. My brothers and I used to take trips on that boat going up and down the Mississippi River. It was so great. I was so excited as a kid to do this. They had restaurants on board and games etc. So much fun. Then after a while they ended up just docking it. Then after that it became a casino. So many memories growing up there. Loved the River front. 👍
I loved listening to the soundtrack. To think that the composer, Robert Wykes, wrote all of those orchestral parts, hired the musicians, rehearsed and produced it is mind-boggling.
Oh yeah, and the arch.
It's pretty amazing!
Eero Saarinen was an architectural genius. He also designed Bell Labs and the Transistor Monument/Water Tower in Holmdel, New Jersey which was built the year he died.
The iconic Dulles International Airport terminal as well
Every time I watch this film, I am fascinated anew by the engineering marvel that is the Arch, and by the brave, brilliant men who constructed it. I live in St. Louis, and I love looking at how much the downtown area has changed over the years. I smile when I look at the Admiral that used to be on the riverfront. I have so much admiration for those men. The worker who put the final piece in place, passed away several years ago.
I’m just now caring about the story about the arch and been here all my life.🤦🏽♀️ I learned something today thanks
I drove by that arch back in [07] but didn't realize it was that big, now I wish I stopped for closer look. Being a welder by trade for the past 35 years I can appreciate the welding work that would go into something like this, welding has come a long ways since 1965......
My friend told me he was in elementary school at the time and they let all the kids out of school the day they put the last piece in place so they could go watch it being done. So many years later, he still gets as excited as a little kid talking about it
Well if ever there was a day in St Louis history to take a day off from school it would be that one!
That's awesome
The electrical contractor was the only contractor that was still in business when it was completed. I worked for them for 21 years.
I saw this film in one of my classes when I went to college in the early 70's to study architecture.
i grew up and lived 50 years in st. louis. my first time up to the top i was only 10. the tram cars were/are small, but then i fit with ease. my second time up, i was now an adult and taking my own kids up to the top. boy, did those tram cars shrink an awful lot in 30 years!
an amazing sight to see and experience. i applaud those brave men that risked their lives, to bring this monument to life.
These guys up there with very little safety gear is insane. These were some real men right here. Amazing feat of engineering for sure.
I've been up in the Arch several times and it's almost vertigo inducing. How the heck did those men walk around on those narrow platforms without one person falling? Amazing.
I have visited once in 2011, very vertigo inducing. And imagine the winds up there! Makes me want to vomit lol
yes, I got super dizzy.
@@eyespy8970 there was a story a couple of days ago about people being trapped in the elevator for two and a half hours.
@@iKumala omg, that would have been terrifying
Could be worse. Could be trapped in a Steak ‘n Shake.
The arch is so amazing! I just stood at the base of it, and it's almost scary. It's so big and I can't even imagine the huge gonads it took to even imagine doing it, let alone actually building it.
Talked to a few dozen of the builders at a reunion on site in 2008. All very proud of what they built. And they should be. Thank you.
When I lived in Olney, IL and had visitors, I’d take them to St. Louis. Loved the arch, the museum, and this movie.
26:26 The helicopter, the flag, the steamboat wistles, the machines and workers completing this risky and ballsy piece of art just gives you the chills man.🇺🇸
"The decreasing distance between them has become the measure of their goal ". I love the way he said that , such a great video .
this is AMAZING, it's a good thing They didn't depend on me to build it, it might have gotten to 100' high at the most. MAYBE, I have been around and under this Many times during my many trips West to east and back over the past 50 years and it is Always a Beautiful Marvel to see but NOW it will be so much more beautiful after seeing the commitment all of these Men & Women put into this to make this dream come true. an AWESOME AMERICAN WORK OF ART
I live in St. Louis but I was in the army for most of the construction, in Germany. But every week, “Look” magazine did a little photo-update on the project, including the final assembly. I didn’t get to see it till I got home.
Thank you for your service 🇺🇸
I was there as a kid when they inserted the final piece to complete the Arch. I remember the American flag was on top of that last piece. I was born in St. Louis. Raised there. Great memories I had. The Midwest is so different from other parts of the U.S. I miss it. Thanks for this video. 👍
This is a great project. I can't imagine how those engineers designed and built such a giant Arch back in the 1950-60s without modern computers and software. Because every single section of the Arch has its unique curvature, without the help of computers it is extremely difficult to ensure the accuracy and consistency of each section. But engineers and iron-workers accomplished that beautifully, this accomplishment really amazed me. This is a masterpiece of engineering art work in human history. Therefore, when we see the Arch, we are proud of our country!
Looks like an incredibly dangerous job. Just fascinating what they did there.
A amazing achievement I've been twice and the elevator is just as impressive a wonderful 630 ft ride!
My Uncle Bob worked on the construction of that monument, he was a welder and union representative for the welding workers
I saw this when I was about 12, then we rode up the arch. Amazing. Back when we had the Can Do spirit.
Now we build baseball parks by extorting municipalities for the funding.
I remember reading newspapers and magazines when I was a kid as they were building the Arch. It was exciting to me along with the controversy all along as to whether it would meet at the top.
On the evening news they gave quite a bit of coverage to the joining. That and the excitement of the space race made it a great time to grow up. SOMEHOW WE HAVE LOST THE OPTOMISTIC SPIRIT THAT EXISTED BACK THEN
If you visit the arch and opt to see the movie beforehand in the museum under the arch this is the movie you will see. The Arch is absolutely amazing to see in person, it's massive and seeing as I've been to the Eifel tower it really makes you realize how big this thing is.
Wait….what?? The Eiffel Tower is 984 feet tall and the Gateway Arch is 630 feet tall. Maybe you meant if the Eiffel Tower was laying on its side. It’s only 324 feet wide. 😅
I love TH-cam for making these kinds of films accessible to everyone (with a fast internet connection anyway). I was only a year old when this landmark project concluded so don't have any memory of it. Just like I don't know where I was when JFK was shot because I was floating in embryonic fluid. We only have a few years on this earth. It's nice that our real experience can be expanded drastically with books, video and other media made possible through the generous documentation of prior generations.
Not everything makes it through, sadly. But when it does, its great for public education.
Originally from Chicago, I remember being on a paddlewheel tour boat with my mom and new stepfather on a trip after they got married when I was 5yrs old (1963)... and only the bottom 3rd of the right-hand side (looking at it from the river) had been completed. 😎👍
Finally got to see the completed Arch 59 years later (June 2022).
Waaay Cool! 👍
WoW! I love this video! Immediately took me back to feeling like I was watching an old filmstrip projector in my middle school classroom! I loved movies in school! The narrator's voice is iconic! He has a signature sound voice!
My father and my sister got to walk to the top of the arch while it was Being built. They needed a part for my father and he took it down and they invited them to walk the stairs to the top before it was done. Pretty cool.
I've just now seen that this video exists. I wasn't aware of it before.
I have it bookmarked to watch later. I am hoping to see video of my grandfather. He was an Ironworker who helped build the Arch, among other local St. Louis buildings. He was there, on top of the Arch, when the last piece was put in place.
Man these guys were supermen. Working at the heights. Wow.
As a descendent of the first pioneer to travel the Oregon Trail via the Barlow Trail and over the flank of Mount Hood into the Willamette Valley in Oregon and who probably, I believe set off from St. Louis… I approve of this MONUMENT! It might be the most beautiful of its kind in the world and one of the great designs by one of America’s great architects! Thank you to all who made it a reality!
Glad to hear no-one was killed. They must have faced risky maneuvers, everyday.
Thanks, I was wondering if anyone got killed, so glad that no one got killed.
I was born at St Joseph’s Hospital, not far from this site, in October of ‘63. It’s funny the things people take for granted. The Gateway Arch should never be. I look at this with a chuckle… I ended up being a crane operator 🙂.
Of all the tower videos I've seen, this video is far more impressive, watching the impossible become a reality.
Fantastic achievement of architecture and engineering . You could see the measured slow and steady pride to make it a reality . Hats off to those guys and their brave hard work making it possible .
Waste of money and material really
I got really emotional watching this video. It’s because I was born and raised in St. Louis during this time. Was born in 1959. I remember distinctly seeing this Arch being built. Little by little. As a young boy. I remember the whole city being so proud of it. As a boy I went up inside the Arch with my Father and two brothers. It was great. So cool. They have a nice museum under the Arch too. So many great memories for me there. I now live in Los Angeles. Have been for about 36 years. I truly miss St. Louis. A good small city. Thank you SO much for showing this film. I haven’t seen it in so long. 🥲🥲🥲
I grew up in Paducah Ky a couple hours south of St. Louis.
Had cousins in town that we visited often.
Went to Cardinals games every year, the zoo, Westgate Mall etc but going up in the Arch was right at the top of my favorites list.
That and watching Bob Gibson pitch.
Was there in 67 as a Cardinals fan. Yep, Gibson, Cepeda, Brock, Flood, Maris, et al. Those were the days...
This film confirms that pure Documentaries are life's most rewarding addiction.
AMEN!
Yes, I can say that :)
I agree with that..
I've been to the Arch twice & went to the top both times despite being afraid of heights! The construction is amazing!!!!!
I don't think one can deny wanting to go up into this even with fear like that. I know exactly what you mean, otherwise!
Rennie, no reason to be afraid of height. Just don't think about height.
A great marvel of American ingenuity. Go, St Louis!!
can we appreciate how brave these workers are! 200+ feet up in the air working building a beauty!
Amazing monument
amazing feat of engineering and labor. to put this into perspective this was just under 4 years before we put a man on the moon.
Lol right.....
Yes, this is the start of modern technology.
Lifelong Cardinals fans from Tennessee, my husband and I have often toured the Arch and museum, as well as the lovely park on the west side of the mighty Mississippi. I appreciate this documentary so very much, and especially the engineers and workers who made it all possible. (My dad was a civil engineer so I can appreciate his chosen life’s work even more when I see the background on such “modern marvel” projects.)
Thanks for posting this informative video.
Neat documentary! I love the look back in time
I have not visited the Gateway Arch since the early eighties .
I watched the movie at their theater then, and it was a very interesting story .
Watching it again, today , it was more than just a reminder of what America is made of.
I was up in the arch in the early '70's. It is well worth the time to do so. I want to do it again.
It was at night when I saw it. I was a deckhand on the Col. George Lambert , a tow boat out of Greenville Mississippi. i have wanted to see a film like this for a long time. I will never forget seeing the Arch show itself as the towboat came into St.Louis. Thank you.
I love this stuff. Hats off to all those workers building this arch.
The arch is a special place to me, my grandpa helped work on the arch when he was very young❤️
My father did the foundation inspection on the arch. This monument has always held a special place in my heart because of this.
Thanks to those great MEN who built this beautiful masterpiece.
I've been up the Arch , a very windy day and it swayed back and forth . One of my co-worker's told us a lot of the welders on the Arch were men that were from central region of Arkansas and they had also welded pipe on the Alaskan Pipeline . Kinda spooky going up and down the arch in the trams but we made up and down with no problems . This was in 1972 on a cold , rainy and windy day . We also ate at the restaurant on one of the paddle wheel boats there on the Mississippi River as seen in the film . Great video , Thanks for posting .
Back when America was great, we did great things and accomplished the impossible, all without strangling government regulations. I can’t even begin to imagine what it would take to wade through all the red tape, environmental studies, etc. not to mention all the safety and engineering to accomplish a feat such as the gateway arch now. What took a mere two and half years from start to finish with what is now considered primitive equipment, would take 3 years just to get a permit to stick the first shovel in the ground, let alone build it. Those were real men doing a job that they were proud of, all the while making history at the same time. I’ve been to the arch twice in my life, it is awe inspiring, and to see this video of it’s construction is even more awe inspiring.
You probably could'nt get a permit for this now. The flying birds would hit it or you might disturb a gopher mound while digging the footings. Gov't bs!
@@scottrayhons2537 I don't think a "gopher mound" nor "flying birds" would be an issue today when you consider all the wind turbines being erected across the nation.
This great! Thanks for sharing.
This is so amazing how they built that. Every time I go through downtown I admire that.
The actual story that tells who and what brought the planning of the St. Louis Arch begins in 1933 in Indiana. The Depression had caused a need for projects like the WPA to help our nation to get back to prosperity. There are many interesting aspects of the true story, most people are in aware of. The Memorial to the Pioneers, was added later. The project was an Architects design contest. An accident in choosing the Architect was awarded to the Elder Sarenen, when the younger Sarenen was the actual Architect. There was a Lawsuit with Italy over the design. I am certain the design was Solely Otto Sarenen’s brain child. Mr. Sarenen never lived to see the Arch finished sadly. There are many other details the public never questioned, but are equally as festinating. I was 10 years Old living in Hannibal, when the Arch was built. Dad would always point the Arch out, as it was being built, as we passed by St.Peters, outside of St.Louis. Our Mom grew up, an Orphan in St.Louis.
✨😇 This is cool to learn of things 😇✨
Been there in St Louis many many times, never went into the Arch, maybe sometime in the future.
The CROSS in Effingham Illinois is something of a sight to behold also.
Arch= 🐪 Ill=👁️ Way= ✝️
Matthew 19:24
“And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
@@jasoningram4042 true that!
Living in St Louis myself, my opinion is biased, but The Arch has got to be the most magnificent monument in the country! I love seeing it every day!
@@jasoningram4042 the quotation is eye of THE needle, it was a very low gate in the wall and to get a camel through it would almost have to be on its belly, you would have to drag it through and I cannot see a camel being very cooperative, hence the context of the rich man having even more of a struggle, not impossible just very very difficult, putting the stories into the context of the time really shows how much the people believed and cared, and has helped me in my faith, knowing absolutely no one in a position of responsibility would even think of fast walking and then you read "he ran", throwing image and social etiquette out the window, it emphasise the passion of the time that we so often miss.
Prove to me capitalism is morally good by getting a camel though a needle’s eye…. I’d even settle for a Camel cigarette.
I have seen this documentary several times when I was younger when I stumbled on this today at the age of 52. Seeing those guys with no safety devices scared the daylights out of me. How did no one die making this. What an engineering feat and is so impressive every time I see this in person.
A great arch, great film, and truly a great film score in my opinion. One of the best
My dad and my sister delivered a pipe fitting to the arch that was ordered. They were invited to walk to the top of the Arch by the stairs which they did. They probably were the first civilians to get to the top of your Arch that were not a worker
That is amazing
Balls of steel on the workers that built this. Better men than me.
Now I see why I’m so mesmerized when I see the Arch whether it’s approaching St. Louis from Illinois, or when I am looking at it up close. It’s been a part of my life since I was 11 and I’m currently 40.
You have to appreciate the high-quality voiceover narrator compared to today's male narration!
Awesome video. My grandfather Jim tetrick was the photographer and videographer for Missouri dot on this project. He may have done some of the aerial footage in this video.