St. Joseph in Buchanan County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Lovers Lane, Saint Jo
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., April 6, 2013
1. Eugene Field's Lovers Lane Marker
"… a proper horse goes slow
In those leafy aisles
where Cupid smiles
In Lover's Lane, Saint Jo."
- Eugene Field
Lovers Lane, beginning where 18th Street meets Grand Avenue and extending a mile and a half to the northeast until it joins Ashland Avenue, began as a shady country road lined with stately trees and edged by farmland fences. A favorite with romantic couples seeking solitude, and earlier known as Rochester Road, Lovers Lane was designated a city street in 1897 and paved in 1914.
Made internationally famous in 1889 when the poet-journalist Eugene Field penned his nostalgic lines while sojourning in England, the residential area retains its early charm, although farmhouses, fields and pastures, woods and orchards have now given way to quiet, closer neighborhoods.
Chosen as a St. Joseph Landmark in 1979, Lovers Lane invites your leisurely stroll or drive along its picturesque length.
Erected 1993 by Lovers Lane Neighborhood Association.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1897.
Location. 39° 47.53′ N, 94° 49.94′
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. William Mitchelhill (approx. 1.2 miles away); David Johnson Heaton (approx. 1.3 miles away); Confederate Memorial (approx. 1.3 miles away); Mount Mora Cemetery (approx. 1.3 miles away); World War Memorial (approx. 1.3 miles away); No Turning Back (approx. 1.8 miles away); Peace Officers Memorial (approx. 1.8 miles away); SPC Edward "Eddie" Lee Myers (approx. 1.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Joseph.
Also see . . .
1. Lovers Lane, Saint Jo. Complete poem at Full Online Books (Submitted on July 4, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Lovers Lane, Saint Jo. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on April 25, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., April 6, 2013
2. Eugene Field's Lovers Lane Marker
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., April 6, 2013
3. Eugene Field's Lovers Lane Marker
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., April 6, 2013
4. Eugene Field's Lovers Lane Neighborhood Banner
Neighborhood Association website homepage:
Click for more information.
Click for more information.
circa 1910
5. Lover's Lane Postcard
Such was the popularity of Field's poem that a number of postcard publishers used it as the basis for a series of romantic postcards. This card, No. 6 in a series of 12 (with each card providing a stanza), depicts the romantic couple in a manner very similar to that in the upper left of the marker. (Click on marker picture to enlarge and compare.)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 26, 2022. It was originally submitted on July 4, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 1,367 times since then and 93 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 4, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 5. submitted on November 10, 2015.
