Having been occupied for over 1000 years, the city now known as St. Louis has a rich
and interesting history as one of North America’s oldest continuously occupied cities.
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The story of St. Louis starts around 900 ACE when the area became the center of the Native
American Mississippian culture, which built large temple complexes and residential earthwork
mounds on both the eastern and western sides of the Mississippi River.
The regional center lasted over 600 years in it’s prime until about 1500 ACE and was
located at Cahokia Mounds, which, at the time, was larger than the city of London.
Historic Native American tribes in the area included the Osage people, whose territory
extended west into today’s Missouri and the Illiniwek people whose territory extended
east into what we now know as Illinois.
While archaeological discoveries are still underway, we are learning more about this
advanced culture every year.
Unfortunately, by the time the city of St. Louis was officially founded, many of the
mounds and temples had been raized to the ground to make way for development leaving
but a mere shadow of the culture’s former grandeur and complexity.
In fact, at the time of the city’s founding, it was nicknamed ‘mound city’ after the
vast quantity of earthen structures and temples that dominated the landscape.
But that’s a story for another day, let’s get back to the founding of St. Louis City.
The first recorded European exploration of the area was in 1673 by French Explorers Louis
Jolliet and Jacques Marquette who travelled through the Mississippi river valley.
Just 5 years later, La Salle would claim the region for France as part of the Louisiana
Territory.
The earliest European colonizers would arrive and build their settlement in Illinois County
between 1690 and the early 1700s at Cahokia, Kashkaskia, and Fort de Chartres.
Eventually, migrants from these French villages would travel to the western side of the Mississippi
river in the 1730s and establish Ste.
Genevieve as a city.
In fact, several of the structures built here in the 1700s have survived to this day and
can be visited by appointment or on a walking tour of the city.
In 1764, After France lost the Seven Year’s war, Pierre Laclede, along with his stepson
Auguste Chouteau founded the French City of St. Louis which was bound by the western banks
of the Mississippi River and the southern banks of the Missouri River.
Though Saint Genevieve was already an established trading post, Laclede sought a new site that
would be less prone to flooding . He also found dense forests and grasslands that could
easily be converted for agriculture.
Laclede is famously known for saying, “this place might become, hereafter, one of the
finest cities…”
He then sent his 14 year old stepson, Auguste Chouteau, to lead a group of 30 French settlers
to establish the area.
The French families built up the economy through fur trading with the indigenous Osage People
as well as many other tribes located along the Missouri River.
The city was originally planned by laclede to have 3 long avenues that ran parallel to
the Mississippi river with city blocks that were set at 240 by 300 feet.
He also established a public corridor along the river which would give the inhabitants
access to the river.
Of course, this was replaced by the gateway arch and other private developments during
the process of Urban Renewal leaving nearly no traces of the original city.
For the first few years of St. Louis's existence, the city was not recognized by any of the
governments.
Although the settlement was thought to be under the control of the Spanish government,
no one asserted any authority over it, and thus St. Louis had no local government.
This vacuum led Laclède to assume civil control, and all problems were disposed in communal
meetings.
In addition, Laclède granted new settlers lots in town and the surrounding countryside.
In hindsight, many of these original settlers thought of these first few years as "the golden
age of St. Louis"
By 1765, the city began receiving visits from representatives of the English, French, and
Spanish governments.
The Native Americans in the area expressed dissatisfaction at being under the control
of British forces.
One of the great Ottawa chieftains, Pontiac, was angered by the change of power and the
potential for the British to come into their lands.
He desired to fight against them but many of the St. Louis inhabitants refused
St. Louis was transferred to the French First Republic in 1800 (although all of the colonial
lands continued to be administered by Spanish officials), then sold by the French to the
U.S. in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase.
St. Louis became the capital of, and gateway to, the new territory.
Shortly after the official transfer of authority was made, the Lewis and Clark Expedition was
commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and The expedition departed from St. Louis
in May 1804 along the Missouri River to explore the vast territory.
There were hopes of finding a water route to the Pacific Ocean, but the party had to
go overland in the Upper West.
They reached the Pacific Ocean via the Columbia River in the summer of 1805.
They returned, reaching St. Louis on September 23, 1806.
Both Lewis and Clark lived in St. Louis after the expedition.
Many other fur traders, such as Robert Campbell would be attracted to St. Louis later on in
the century, you can learn more about him in this video linked above on the screen right
now.
The city elected its first municipal legislators (called trustees) in 1808.
Steamboats first arrived in St. Louis in 1817, improving connections with New Orleans and
eastern markets.
Missouri was admitted as a state in 1821.
St. Louis was incorporated as a city in 1822, and continued to develop largely due to its
busy port and trade connections.
Immigrants from Ireland and Germany arrived in St. Louis in significant numbers starting
in the 1840s, and the population of St. Louis grew from less than 20,000 inhabitants in
1840, to more than 160,000 by 1860.
By the mid-1800s, St. Louis had a greater population than New Orleans.
On August 22, 1876, the city of St. Louis voted to secede from St. Louis County and
become an independent city, and, following a recount of the votes in November, officially
did so in March 1877.
Industrial production continued to increase during the late 19th century.
Major corporations such as the Anheuser-Busch brewery and Ralston Purina company were established.
St. Louis also was home to Desloge Consolidated Lead Company and several brass era automobile
companies, including the Success Automobile Manufacturing Company;
In 1904, the city hosted the World's Fair and the Olympics, becoming the first non-European
city to host the games.
Permanent facilities and structures remaining from the fair are located in Forest Park,
and other notable structures within the park's boundaries include the St. Louis Art Museum,
the St. Louis Zoo and the Missouri History Museum.
That’s all we will cover today, in the mean time, enjoy the rest of this film from the
1904 World’s Fair that we retouched for your viewing pleasure.
The original video will be linked in the description.
Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss part 2 of this video where we will explore
the city’s history in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Ill see you next time on, this house!