A Brief History of St. Louis, Missouri

Indigenous People Early History: pre-1764

 

The territory that would become St. Louis lies on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory the Illini Confederacy [en.wikipedia.org], which is a group of 12-13 Native American Tribes located in the upper Mississippi River Valley of North America. They were estimated to have been in the thousands at the time of European contact in the seventeenth century. The Grand Village of the Illinois had a population of around 20,000. Only five tribes were left by the middle of the 18th century: the Cahokia Kaskaskia Michigamea Peoria and Tamaroa. [See reference [en.wikipedia.org]]

Many temples and residential earthwork mounds were built by the local indigenous people. Cahokia Mounds was the regional center. St. Louis was known as "Mound City" because of its many important earthworks. These mounds were mostly destroyed during the city's construction.

European Settlement: 1764-1803

 

Pierre Laclede Liguest was the recipient of a grant of land from King of France. He and Auguste Chouteau (13 years old) chose the location of St. Louis in 1764 to be a fur trading station. Laclede and Chouteau selected the site because it was safe from flooding and near the confluence between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. The following year, construction of the village was begun. It was named after Louis IX of France. Many of the early settlers were French and were involved in the fur trade. St. Louis was transferred to Spain in 1770. He returned to France with a secret treaty signed with Napoleon. After the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, he became part of the United States. Legend has it that St. Louis flew three flags simultaneously on the day of the transfer of territory to the United States, 1803, including one each for French, Spanish and American.

The Great Migration: 1803-1861

 

It was the starting point for the Louisiana Purchase Expedition of Meriwether Clark and Meriwether Lewis in 1803. More New Englanders, as well as East Coast emigrants, settled in St. Louis after 1804, but the majority of the city's population remained French until the late 19th-Century. In 1823, St. Louis was incorporated as a municipality. St. Louis became a major center for commerce and trade in the 19th Century, drawing thousands of immigrants looking to start a new life at the frontier.

The population exploded between 1840 and 1861 with the arrival so many immigrants. In the aftermath of the German Revolution, and the Irish Potato Famine, the predominant ethnic groups that settled in St. Louis were the Germans and Irish. St. Louis was strategically located during the American Civil War. However, it remained under Union control due to the loyal German influence. Although no major battles were fought within the city or nearby, the "Battle of Camp Jackson", a notable skirmish that was fought at the current location of St. Louis University's campus, was noteworthy. Later waves of St. Louis settlers were made up of Italians, Lebanese and Syrian settlers, as well as Greeks who arrived in the latter part of the 19th Century.

Fourth City Status: 1861-1903

 

The current boundaries of St. Louis were drawn in 1876 when voters approved the separation from St. Louis County and the establishment of a home rule chart. St. Louis was the first home rule city in the country, but it was not separated from any other county. Baltimore is also a divided metropolis. This boundary could in the future be a major limitation for St. Louis but at the time, there was plenty of room for growth within the boundaries. St. Louis grew rapidly after the Civil War and was a major manufacturing hub by 1900. Because of its dominance in the region and its easy access to water transportation and the central location of the country, industries grew in St. Louis. St. Louis was an important link in transcontinental rail travel's continued growth in 1874 with the construction of the Eads bridge. However, Chicago overtook it as the country's largest rail hub. In the 1890s St. Louis was fourth in the country.

World's Fair and Expansion, 1904-1950

 

One of the greatest moments in the history of the City was in 1904 when it hosted the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. It took place in Forest Park at the city's western edge. In conjunction with the fair, the 1904 Olympic Games were also held at Washington University's Francis Field. The fair was visited by more than 20 million people during its seven-month duration. This is immortalized in the song, "Meet Me In St. Louie, Louie." St. Louis continued its industrialization in the 20th Century. As early as 1920s, the increasing popularity of automobiles caused congestion in downtown St. Louis. Although rapid transit was considered, it was never implemented. St. Louis was the home of the nation's first gasoline station, and the first automobile accident. Today, the region is second only to the Detroit area for automobile production. Between World War I and World War II, thousands of African-Americans migrated to St. Louis during the Great Migration. In the City of St. Louis, there were over 800,000.

The City's population reached its peak in 1950 at 856,000 after World War II. The city was too crowded to allow for growth beyond its boundaries. Many of the existing housing stock had been abandoned during the Great Depression of 1930s and World War II. Any new growth in St. Louis County had to take place in the suburbs, which St. Louis couldn't annex. While there were some African-Americans who moved into St. Louis from the South as well as Southeast Missourians in their place, older immigrant families began to move to the suburbs.

The Era of Revitilization 1951-1999

 

Urban renewal and public housing programs did not stop the population decline. Four interstate highways were built to cut blocks through the neighborhoods and facilitate the exodus into the suburbs. In 1966, the Hodiamont streetcar line, which was the last in St. Louis, ceased operation. The suburbization of the African-American community began in the 1970s. The City's population was approximately 450,000 by 1980.

The revitalization of the central business area was helped by the 1965 construction the Gateway Arch, and the 1966 construction Busch Memorial Stadium (home to the Cardinals baseball team). The downtown boom continued for thirty years, with projects such as the Cervantes Convention Center, Union Station rehabilitation in 1985, and the St. Louis Centre 1986. At the same time, growing interest in preservation of historic neighborhoods--partly fueled by Federal tax credits--led to the revitalization of the Central West End, DeBaliviere Place, Soulard, and Lafayette Square neighborhoods during the 1970s and early 1980s.

Despite the fact that growth was slowed by the 1986 tax reform, and the recession in the late 1980s, early 1990s, many major projects were completed, including the MetroLink light rail line, expansion of the Convention Center, Kiel Civic Center (Blues - Hockey Team) and Trans World Dome, (Rams - football Team). Although the 1993 great Mississippi River Flood had a negative impact on urban revitalization efforts, most low-lying industrial areas were protected by floodwalls. The River des Peres was the main source of severe flooding in the city. It is a drainageway that flows into the Mississippi River and serves the southern and western parts of the City. Despite a continuing decline in population, downtown revitalization efforts continue in St. Louis. The City's leading industries included medicine at Barnes-Jewish, St. Louis University Hospitals, and brewing at Anheuser-Busch. Five Fortune 500 companies were located within the City limits. Many of the older industrial buildings were used as incubators for small businesses. Despite all the difficulties, St. Louis was ready to grow into its fourth century.