CITY AND COUNTY FUNCTIONS

This month marks the 249th anniversary of the founding of the City of St. Louis.  Pierre Laclede Liguest was the recipient of a land grant from the King of France.  He traveled with his 13-year-old scout, Auguste Chouteau, and his band of traders to establish a centrally located fur trading post on the land.  A site near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers was selected.  In February 1764, Chouteau and thirty men cleared the site.  The first structures erected included a large house for the fur company's headquarters, cabins for the men and a storage shed for provision and tools.  The village of St. Louis was named in honor of the Crusader King, Louis IX of France.  

In 2014, St. Louis will celebrate the 250th anniversary of its founding by Pierre Laclede.  According to the stl250 Facebook page, the birthday party will begin on Dec. 31, 2013 and conclude on Dec. 31, 2014.  stl250 will plan, fundraise, coordinate and be the hub for activities and events commemorating the 250th birthday of the founding of the St. Louis area.  Check the stl250 Facebook page for the latest updates about plans for celebrating the 250th anniversary.

 

City Flag

The current city flag was designed by Yale University Professor Emeritus Theodore Sizer and adopted in 1964 at the start of St. Louis' Bicentennial celebration.  The flag, with a solid red background, has two broad heraldic wavy bars, colored blue and white, extending from the left top and bottom corners toward left center where they join and continue as one to the center right edge.  This symbolizes the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.  Over the point of confluence is a round golden disk (bezant) upon which is the fleur-de-lis of France (blue) calling attention to the French background of the early city and more particularly to St. Louis of France for whom the city is named.  The golden disk represents the City of St. Louis and/or the Louisiana Purchase.

The flag's colors recall those of Spain (red and yellow or gold), Bourbon France (white and gold), Napoleonic and Republican France (blue, white and red), and the United States of America (red, white and blue).

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