Newsgram

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. Laclede and Chouteau chose the location because it was not subject to flooding, and was near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. Construction of a village, named for Louis IX of France, began with the support of 30 settlers. 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 Louisana 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.

Happy birthday, St. Louis!

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