May 7, 2015 Thursday, 2:30 pm
SCHS at Friendship Village Sunset Hills
“Oysters to Angus: Three Generations of the St. Louis Faust Family” by Elizabeth Terry
ElizabethTerry – author
About the author
Elizabeth Terry is a historian and author in St. Louis, Missouri. She earned her BA in history from the University of Nebraska at Kearney and her Masters in public history from James Madison University in Virginia. When not researching and writing manuscripts for publication, such as Oysters to Angus, Elizabeth maintains a full schedule managing a diverse range of projects through her historical research company. She conducts independent research for clients seeking information on everything from family histories to historic railroads. Elizabeth also directs an archives for a St. Louis church.
Elizabeth Terry is currently co-authoring a book titled “Ethnic St. Louis,” published by Webster University Press and to be released in the Spring of 2015.
E. Terry book cover – Oysters to Angus
Book abstract
In Oysters to Angus, German immigrant Tony Faust entered rough and rowdy St. Louis in the mid-nineteenth century. As patriarch of the Faust family, he lived lavishly while rebelling against those who wished to shut down his saloon. Tony’s savvy son, Edward, rose to the top of the St. Louis business elite, and in so doing, shunned his German-American heritage. In contrast, Tony Faust’s steady grandson Leicester quietly built his farm in St. Louis County. That land became his legacy: a park built upon the proud Faust name. Through it all, the Fausts navigate the timeline alongside the iconic Busch family, firmly entrenching themselves as movers and shakers of the St. Louis scene. A narrative that has never been told, Oysters to Angus is historically important to both St. Louis City and County; particularly relevant during this 250th anniversary year.
Description of the Faust family story as presented in “Oysters to Angus.”
Excerpted from 2014 press release from Bluebird Publishing
Faust Park Namesake Battled With The Busch Family
ST. LOUIS, September 25, 2014 — One was a St. Louis saloon-keeper who built a prosperous restaurant business. One became a wealthy capitalist with a fashionable West End mansion. Another moved out of the city and became a successful farmer, whose land would one day honor his family’s legacy: Faust Park.
Oysters to Angus: Three Generations of the St. Louis Faust Family (Bluebird Publishing) is a new book by local author Elizabeth Terry about the legendary family who helped shape St. Louis history. Published during the 250th anniversary of the city’s founding, this as-yet untold story traces the Faust family from patriarch Tony Faust to son Edward Faust and grandson Leicester Faust.
Filled with historic photos and a colorful narrative, Oysters to Angus begins with Tony Faust’s entry into the rough and rowdy St. Louis in the mid-1800s. Fleeing Germany like many others after the failed Revolution of 1848, Tony “clawed his way to social and financial standing by way of good investments, good humor and good luck,” Terry writes. His son Edward became a wealthy industrialist, eager to shed his second-generation German immigrant status as World War I raged overseas. Finally, Edward’s son Leicester fled the city and established a self-sustaining farm in what is now Chesterfield. After building a successful agri-business, in 1968 the Fausts donated 98.5 acres to St. Louis County for the park which now bears the family name.
Elizabeth Terry weaves the story of this prominent St. Louis family with other well-known names, including fellow German immigrants the Busch family. Edward Faust married a Busch, and the two families united and fought over the years as their fortunes grew. From the Civil War to the 1904 World’s Fair to the birth of Chesterfield, Oysters to Angus provides a missing chapter to the city’s history.
Elizabeth Terry is a St. Louis historian, researcher and writer. She holds a master’s degree in Public History from James Madison University and directs an archives for a St. Louis church. This is her first book. Oysters to Angus is published by Bluebird Publishing of St. Louis. It is available on Amazon and at local bookstores. For more information visit the author’s website at eterryhistory.com.
