Historic Grover

Historic Grover. c.1879. This village, which comprises much of Wildwood's commercial core on Old Manchester Road, was originally called St. Friedling and Maple Grove. The first post office was established during the Grover Cleveland Administration and John Brown, the first postmaster, named the village of Grover, after the President. One of the most notable structures is the large two-story building, located at 16962 Manchester Road, which served as the original Wildwood City Hall from 1995 through 2009. It was probably built by Fred Rettker about 1879. It was the only general store in the immediate vicinity. Louis Fick bought the store in 1890 for two thousand dollars. Elmer Funk then took ownership of the property in 1921. The store and the picnic area to the east became a favorite gathering place and was soon known as 'Funks Grove,' where parades, picnics and band concerts regularly occurred. Another early settler included Friedlien Wetterer, who came to St. Louis from Baden Baden, Germany in 1854 and worked as a wagonmaker in St. Louis, before opening a wagonmaking shop in Ballwin. Following the Civil War, he moved to Grover, had four sons, and also acquired a farm of 84 acres. Judge Frederick W. Steines, the 'best known man' in the Meramec Township, and Justice of the Peace for many years, lived in Grover. The town also boasted of a blacksmith shop and a well-known tavern owned by Christian Von Gruben.