Downtown in St. Louis, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Phelim O'Toole
Photographed By Jason Voigt, June 14, 2020
1. Phelim O'Toole Marker
Mounted plaque
Phelim O'Toole—firefighter and folk hero—was born in Ireland in 1848. O'Toole went to sea at the age of 12. In 1872 he settled in St. Louis where he joined the fire department.
O'Toole personified courage and heroism in the tragic Southern Hotel fire of 1877. The Southern occupied this block. On the night of April 11, 1877, over 300 guests were registered, including Joseph Pulitzer, who one year later founded the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. At about midnight O'Toole's Company was called to the scene. At great risk, O'Toole personally saved the lives of 12 people.
Ironically, Phelim O'Toole perished at age 32 on July 6, 1880, in a small basement fire on Locust Street when a faulty fire extinguisher exploded in his arms. His last words were, "My God I'm killed."
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Communications • Disasters • Heroes. A significant historical date for this entry is April 11, 1877.
Location. 38° 37.451′ N, 90° 11.364′ W. Marker is in St. Louis, Missouri. It is in Downtown. Marker is at the intersection of South 4th Street and Walnut Street, on the left when traveling north on South 4th Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 20 S 4th St, Saint Louis MO 63102, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking
this page online
Regarding Phelim O'Toole. For his heroic actions, the citizens of St. Louis awarded O'Toole with a check of $500, which at the time, was a considerable sum of money. O'Toole, who was making a $75 salary, donated the money to help orphans as well as the Fire Department. He would also take part in putting out the fire which occurred at the St. Louis Courthouse (which today is known as the Old Courthouse). In keeping O'Toole's memory alive, the St. Louis Fire Department christened their Fire Marine Rescue Unit's fireboat, the "Phelim O'Toole". The twin-engined 32-foot boat was donated by the U.S. Coastguard in 1994. It is based at Engine House 11, at S. Seventh and Pestalozzi St. It is equipped with an impressive 500-gallon-per-minute water pump for fighting fires.
The Southern
Photographed By Jason Voigt, June 14, 2020
2. Phelim O'Toole Marker
Looking west on Walnut Street; Equitable Building is seen in on the right
Robert Benecke, Missouri History Museum (public domain), 1868
3. Southern Hotel
Southwest corner of Fourth and Walnut streets
Photographed By John Hopkins University
4. Sheet music
A song was written shortly after the disaster in dedication of O'Toole and fireman Michael Hester. Composed by Harry Banks. This is from the Lester S. Levy Sheet Music Collection, which is part of John Hopkins University.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 29, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 503 times since then and 61 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 30, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
