(gentle uplifting music) - [Jim] What do you get when you combine goats and a tower?

Well, uh, a goat tower, and one of the only ones in the world.

It's about getting kids back to riding their bikes to school, but there's more to it than that, and that's why the bike bus idea is growing in popularity.

- So awesome!

- [Jim] And he was a legend, and St. Louis blues man, Henry Townsend, is being honored 20 years after he passed away.

It's all next on "Living St. Louis".

♪ All my money gone (bright upbeat music) (bright upbeat music continues) (bright upbeat music continues) (music fading) - I'm Jim Kirchherr.

We've done a lot of stories about St. Louis history.

One program years ago was called "Disaster".

It was about historic floods, fires, crashes, and yes, at the time, three tornadoes that hit the heart of the city.

1896, 1927, 1959.

Well now we have a much deeper understanding of what they must have gone through.

(sirens wailing) Today, we are living through another historic disaster, and living through the aftermath and the recovery.

It's not just the trees and the wreckage that needed to be removed, the power lines restrung, homes and businesses repaired, or torn down, a huge and expensive amount of work that will take time.

But it's also about the lives that were lost and need to be grieved, and the lives that need to be rebuilt.

That, too, will take a long time.

In the past, in a city that was much more densely populated, the city and the people, the churches, the organizations, the neighborhoods responded.

Yeah, there were complaints, and problems with looters, and disagreements about priorities, but there were also stories of people stepping out of their comfort zone to do amazing or just plain helpful things.

(sirens wailing) - Here, well my car ended up right here.

So I'm not sure exactly where it started, but I know this is where I ended.

The doctors said it should have been my life.

- Just as in the past, the stories of this tornado are being told and recorded, and archived.

History is once again being written in St. Louis, and one day, people will look back at what happened during and after the tornado of 2025.

So let's lighten things up a bit.

I'm not quite sure how to describe this next story, but it started out like a lot of "Living St. Louis" stories over the years.

Veronica Mohesky just ran across something really unusual and thought, "This I've gotta see."

(bright music) - [Veronica] Most farm animals live in stables or barns, but the goats at Marcia and David Johnson's farm in Windsor, Illinois get their own tower.

- These are a Saanen goat, and they are a full size milking goat that originate from the Saanen region of Switzerland, so that's why, I think, they just naturally love to climb.

- [Veronica] Marcia says it was her husband's idea to build the tower.

- I always enjoy working with animals.

They teach you a lot.

- [Veronica] David grew up on a farm.

- And my mother came to me when I was a senior in high school, and said, "What are you gonna do when you get out of high school?"

And I said, "I'll tell you one thing, I'm not gonna farm, I'm going to college."

So it's amazing how your life works out.

- [Veronica] It all started in 1998, when David opened a copy of a wine magazine called Decanter.

- I think it came about 'cause it was leftover brick from the house, and he saw the picture of the world famous one in South Africa at the Fairview Winery.

So he got his heads together with the bricklayer, and the bricklayer said yeah, he thought he could do that.

- [Veronica] And he still has that same magazine today.

So the original one in South Africa has four compartments at the Fairview Winery, and Dave and the bricklayer, they scaled it off the picture with a goat standing on it.

But they got the scale wrong, and the diameter must be about a foot bigger, so by the time they got to the four compartments, they realized it was out of proportion.

It was too squat looking, so they had to do one more complete wrap, making it the world's largest goat tower by mistake.

- [Veronica] The tower is 31 feet tall, but it's no longer the tallest in the world.

It is one of only five or six goat towers in existence, though.

- There's one that has been built two foot taller to make it the tallest, but by volume, it's real skinny.

Kinda looks like a rocket ship.

- Yeah.

- This one, as far as volume, I would say is still the largest, until we hear differently.

- [Veronica] Though it's really just called Johnson's Goat Tower, in 2007, the St. Louis Post Dispatch dubbed it the Tower of Baa, and the name stuck.

Marcia says the goats adore their high rise apartments.

- Goats love to be up high, and like he says, since there's no mountains here, we have to make something for them.

And it's just a natural instinct.

We bring a goat in, and within a day or two, she's on the tower.

They stay there all winter.

They live in the tower, they sleep in the tower.

And if it's going to be icy, I make them go in the shed.

And you'd think I was punishing them, because they wanna be in the tower, so.

Lovey was, we found her at the state fair, and she was someone's 4H project.

And the mother sold her to us, and the girl who raised her was so upset, 'cause it was her pet.

And her mother said, "Hey, this is our business.

This is what we do."

So the girl came and visited her, and when she saw the tower, and how much she was enjoying it all, she thought, well maybe if it had to be, at least she's here.

- [Veronica] Right now, the Johnsons have just five goats.

- So over the years, we've had over 100 goats, and at one time, there were 37 at once, and we don't do that anymore.

It was complete chaos.

- [Veronica] And Bella is their most well-known goat.

- She is queen.

She's been here the longest of this bunch, and everybody who comes and takes pictures of her, she's kind of the one that they do.

She's got a little attitude.

- [Veronica] And though the farm is private, visitors can set up appointments with Marcia to check out the property.

But she recommends watching where you stand.

- Oops, somebody's peeing.

(all laughing) That's why you never stand under the tower.

- [Veronica] The only time Marcia goes in the tower is to clean.

- He abdicated that responsibility pretty early on, so I'm the one who goes up with the bucket and the shovel and cleans out the tower.

But when we had 37, it was just overwhelming, so that's part of the reason we don't do that anymore, try to keep it manageable.

But they're not much trouble, just a little food in the morning, and making sure they've got water, and plenty of grass, and they take care of themselves, for the most part.

- [Veronica] And there's more than just goats on the farm.

- This whole 95 acres is considered a certified wildlife habitat, because we just have the food, and protection, and water necessary for a habitat.

And we've got the state park right across the street, so the deer wander in, and all the different wildlife wanders in, and out.

- [Veronica] The property is also a haven for birds.

Do you know about how many different species there are?

- Yes, 'cause I've written them all down, it was almost 100.

We get a lot of the unusual ones in here, which is what's nice about it, 'cause you just don't see 'em everywhere.

(soft music) - What do you hope people kinda gain from the experience of being here?

- As he says, get goaterized.

- [Veronica] In other words, the Johnsons hope people fall in love with the goats as much as they have.

- Well, I remember the bricklayer's reaction when he wanted him to build a goat tower, he said, "You're the craziest guy I've ever known."

I mean, so I'm sure some people think it really is a folly, that it's frivolous, and silly, but a lot of people think it's pretty neat when they walk around and they see it for the first time.

It's bigger, I think, than people expect it to be.

- We enjoy the goats.

- Yeah.

And we like having visitors.

We've had lots of interesting people over the years come and see it.

(soft music) - Our next story's about a simple idea that takes some organizing.

You get together some kids with bikes, and they head off to school.

It's called Bike Bus, and it's a growing movement.

Brooke Butler saw it in action last year in Edwardsville.

(bright music) - [Brooke] For most kids, getting to and from school might not be the most exciting time of the day, but for these students at Columbus Elementary School in Edwardsville, Illinois, it's definitely a highlight.

That's because they get to ride their bikes with their friends.

- It was so awesome!

- [Brooke] (giggling) What was so awesome about it?

- I just like riding my bike in general.

- [Brooke] It's called a Bike Bus.

Kids, or rather adults, organize a group bike ride instead of taking their regular mode of transportation.

It's a trend that's been catching on worldwide for many reasons, but for kids, as Reed said, sometimes it's just fun to ride your bike.

- All right, perfect!

So we got 10 riders, some grownups, and we're gonna get moving, but before we do that, I need you to know a few things about how we do this.

We're gonna ride in a single file line.

- [Brooke] If you're like me, you may be thinking that a bunch of kids who probably don't have the most experience with street riding would be a little chaotic to manage, but it's very organized and safe with the help of Bike Bus drivers.

- Bike Bus is a great way for kids to ride to school in an organized ride.

We meet in five separate locations on three Fridays in May, and we'll do it again in September, and the way the Bike Bus works is there's at least two dedicated Bike Bus drivers, one in front, one in back.

They all have the safety vests, and the kids ride single file in between, and we ride them to school, and then we meet them at the end of school and we ride them back to the original start location.

- I think it's been awesome.

I mean, it's always great to have a reminder to people that they don't always have to take their car everywhere, so having this group of kids going to school has been, you know, maybe this will start something.

Maybe this will encourage kids to ride to school everyday.

(bright music) - [Brooke] But there once was a time when this mode of transportation was the norm.

In 1969, nearly 50% of kids ages five to 14 biked or walked to school, whereas in recent years, it's dropped to about 13%.

Many factors have contributed to this decline, including, of course, concerns for traffic related dangers.

Although, as much as we teach our kids to look both ways before crossing the street, the number one reason is the distance families live to their school.

Beginning in the 1970s, many districts across the country began building new schools further out from the town's center as a way to save on property expenses.

A Bike Bus may not be practical for every district or community, but for the neighborhoods where it does make sense, there are many reasons why people want to encourage kids to walk and bike again.

Is it to get kids active, is it environmental, what's the, or just to have fun with their bike?

- Well, I think everybody's got a reason.

I think for the kids, it's mostly just fun.

But you know, I like to think about it as the bicycle is a great means of transportation, and here in Edwardsville, we've got some great bike trails, and we've got some great opportunities for people to ride, and pretty friendly drivers, and so it's a great way to introduce young people to thinking about the bicycle as not only fun, but useful.

(soft music) - [Brooke] Whatever the motivation may be, the benefits are clear.

Not only does cycling provide numerous improvements in physical health, studies also show the effects on mental wellbeing are just as impressive.

Decreases in stress, anxiety, depression, and increases in cognitive performance are all significant findings from kids and adults who consistently ride their bikes.

Not to mention, any sort of group activity enhances feelings of connectedness and inclusion in one's community.

But don't just take my word for it.

- I used to hate riding my bike, but my mom made a chart to help inspire me to ride my bike, and now I love it.

- It's like you get to get your energy out in the morning.

- [Brooke] Ooh, I like your sticker on there.

- And I love the Bike Bus, yeah.

Like, I used to always ride my scooter, but then me and my friends just kinda had races, and just biked everywhere, so then I had to get on my bike so that I would be able to catch up to them, and ever since, I've been riding my bike, and I've loved it.

- [Brooke] What do you like about it?

- I get to spend time with my grandpa.

- [Brooke] That's so fun.

Is he one of the Bike Bus drivers?

- No, he's right there.

- [Brooke] Oh, he's right there.

(laughing) Oh, he gets to ride along with you?

- Yeah.

- [Brooke] That's so fun.

That's awesome.

How do you usually get to school?

- On a bus.

- On a bus?

Do you like this better?

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- And I wish it was every single day.

- [Brooke] Maybe it will be one day.

(gentle uplifting music) - Finally, St. Louis blues musician, Henry Townsend, died 20 years ago, but this is not a This Week in History story.

No, there's actually an update.

Townsend this year is one of the inductees into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame in Memphis, so we thought it time to retell his story, the one he told when he passed away in 2006 at the age of 96.

- I first of all would like to share with you that this is not a funeral.

(all agreeing) This is a celebration of life.

- Amen!

- Amen!

♪ People, all my money gone ♪ And I don't have another dime in sight ♪ - [Jim] Henry Townsend was already a blues legend when this documentary by Kathy Corley and Legacy Productions aired on Channel 9 in 1986.

♪ You know I've got to do something right now ♪ ♪ Really when you know it's not right ♪ People classify the blues as a sad occasion, you know what I mean?

Something where the guy's really down.

But not necessarily.

I think singing the blues is something to just amuse.

You can amuse your mind.

Or you can put your mind in a real bad spot singing it, too, thinking some bad things that happened in life to you.

♪ All my money gone What has the blues done for me?

The blues have put bread on my table.

That's one of the major things.

And it has put money in my pocket.

Not a whole lot, but being in the music world, and playing the blues, has abled me to survive.

♪ When he was too young ♪ I didn't quite understand ♪ He looking like the old man ♪ Says he's coming to be a little man ♪ ♪ Now I'm satisfied - [Jim] We interviewed Henry Townsend again in 1998 just before his 90th birthday to talk not so much about his music, but his life, and his city.

He came to St. Louis, it was 1918 or 1919.

He had run away from home to avoid a spanking, and hopped a train in Cairo, Illinois, hopped off in East St. Louis, and walked across the bridge into the big city.

He was nine years old, and he came all alone.

He would later be given the nickname Mule.

- You just have guts and go, that's all.

(laughing) I don't know, I just followed my instinct, and number one, I went to the Union Station, and right away, tried to seek me a job.

- [Jim] And there he was stopped by police officers who said they were going to take him in for trying to steal the clock in the station tower.

Maybe they were just trying to scare the boy, or amuse themselves, but they let him go.

But he knew how things worked, and Henry Townsend said the changing of the old ways was one of the most important things that happened in his lifetime.

- But everything has improved.

There was one time, well, that a black man was not equal to a child, when other nations, not only the white man, but anybody with a different skin from him, he had to respect.

And that's a total 90 degree thing.

- [Jim] And yet Henry Townsend, like other blacks, survived in the system in the city that existed.

- But it used to be if you can't live in St. Louis, you can't live nowhere, because everything was real easy to get to, easy to have.

It didn't take too much money to do whatever you wanted to do.

And most people considered St. Louis a haven for them.

They could get there, and if they get there, they'd be all right.

Anything that I coulda done without stealing or robbing somebody, to stay away from work, I done that.

This was my aim in the very beginning, is to find a way to stay away from manual labor.

And I was pretty successful at it.

I done a little manual labor, but not enough to talk about it.

(bluesy guitar music) - [Jim] The center of his and much of African-American life at the time was in the Mill Creek neighborhood west of Union Station, later torn down as part of urban renewal.

Townsend said he hustled checkers, he ran a shoe shine shop, which was just a front for a backroom whisky operation, and he got his first guitar and started to learn to play the blues, and in St. Louis, you could learn an awful lot.

♪ Cairo Just about every musician, if you didn't come the way of St. Louis and stop, you would come the way of Kansas City.

And St. Louis, I think, was the most popular, and every renowned musician that was born in the south at one time lived here for a short period, if not a long time.

- [Jim] But while St. Louis had a lot of music and musicians, it did not have much of a recording industry.

Townsend went to Chicago to make his first record in 1929.

He came back to St. Louis, but most of the others did not.

- You see, if he got to be fairly good, right away he went to Kansas City, or went to Chicago.

And they didn't stay to build on the foundation that they'd built up here.

They moved out.

You see, it was just a few of us that stayed here in St. Louis, and went all the way with whatever happened.

And that's one of the reasons I could think, a guy gets good, he leave.

When by the same token, if he stayed here, he would draw other good musicians to him here, but see, it didn't work that way.

They got good, and boom.

Right where the recording places was.

New York, Chicago, or what have you.

(casual blues music) - [Jim] Henry Townsend remained in St. Louis, and continued to record and perform, but he was hardly a star.

That would be for the jazz and the swing musicians, and later rock and roll and R&B.

Blues men almost always needed other jobs.

And then in the 1960s, there was a growing interest in the roots of American popular music, and old blues men like Henry Townsend would find themselves appreciated by a new, often young and white, audience, at folk festivals, college campuses, and European concert halls.

- I became aware of Henry in the early 60s.

There were reissue programs at that time from Origin Jazz Library, and a few other companies putting out old blues tunes, and his were among the first that were reissued.

So after listening to the record, I picked up the phone book to see which ones were still in St. Louis, and Henry was one of them that I called, and he invited me over, and we've been fast friends since then.

He was fairly inactive in the early 60s, especially musically.

He was doing a little work collecting bad debts for Sears Roebuck when I first met him.

But he still had a guitar, and he had a piano in his basement that was sort of beat up, and he ran through the old themes, and it sounded very much like, with a little bit of work, he could be back at the top of his form.

(band playing upbeat blues music) ♪ All right ♪ I love the way you smile - He, more than any other person, represented the history of St. Louis blues.

He carried with him the sounds of the time that exists no more.

He always made those sounds current.

He was a continuous thread in the long fabric of the history of this blues community.

But his life, and as a person, touched every generation that was here.

(playing casual blues music) - [Jim] Because of the blues revival, Henry Townsend traveled the country and the world, and he played until the very end.

He was in Wisconsin to perform and receive an award when he passed away at the age of 96.

And for the final time, returned home to St. Louis.

♪ Well I'm going down River Street ♪ ♪ I declare, that's where I belong ♪ - [Jim] He had said he wondered what he might have accomplished if this had been a different world for a black man when he came into it, but he also fully appreciated the opportunities he did have, as, as he would say, a musicianer.

- I've never been, like I see people be treated, I've never been treated that way.

And that gives me, I guess, the grounds to say that I don't have nothing to be sore about.

If age-wise, I'm not talking about being afflicted, but you just live so long, you'll be tired of getting older.

Then you go ahead and die.

I'm gonna try that.

Live 'til I get tired of getting older, and that is quite a few years away.

(laughing) ♪ I want everybody ♪ That's listening to me sing this song ♪ ♪ I want everybody ♪ That's listening to me singing this song ♪ ♪ I want you to remember the old man ♪ ♪ After I'm dead and gone Oh yeah.

(audience applauding) Thank you!

- And that's "Living St. Louis".

Thanks for joining us.

I'm Jim Kerchherr, and we'll see you next time.

(bright upbeat music) (bright upbeat music continues) (bright upbeat music continues) - [Announcer] "Living St. Louis" is funded in part by the Betsy and Thomas Patterson Foundation, and the members of Nine PBS.