Newsgram

A Brief Early History

Pierre Laclede Liguest, recipient of a land grant from the King of France, and his 13-year-old scout, Auguste Chouteau, selected the site of St. Louis on Feb. 14, 1764, as a fur trading post.    Laclede and Chouteau chose the location because it was not subject to flooding and was near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.  The first structures erected included a large house for the fur company's headquarters, cabins for the men and a storage shed for provisions and tools.  The post home, completed in Sept. 1764 was located on the block once bounded by Market, Walnut, First and Second Streets which is now part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park.  The house became the nucleus around which the village was built and also the focal point for all measurements locating lots and streets.

Construction of a village, named for Louis IX of France, began the following year.  Most of the early settlers were French; many were associated with the fur trade.  St. Louis transferred to the Spanish in 1770, returned to France under a secret treaty with Napoleon and, following the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, became part of the United States.  According to legend, on the day of transfer of the territory to the United States in 1803, St. Louis flew under three flags in one day -- French, Spanish, and American.

Looking Ahead

Since its founding, St. Louis has continued to grow and prosper with each new generation, and we look forward to the progress that will be made in the years ahead.  Many St. Louisans are already looking toward the City's 250th birthday which will fall on a Friday in 2014.  Look for more information in Newsgram as we get closer to the date.  Also, periodically visit http://www.stl250.org for updates.

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