Saint Louis History, Missouri

Saint Louis, MO US - History: City with a French Connection

Saint Louis, which belongs to the state of Missouri, is the second largest city in the state and has a rich history behind it. The city traces its roots back to the year 1763. It was founded by Pierre LaClede. He founded the city as a place for fur trade. The city was named Saint Louis in honor of the French king, Louis XV, and the saint, Louis IX whom he patronized.

The Spanish then took possession of the city in the year 1770. It continued to be under their control till the year 1803. In the year 1803, the possession of the town changed hands again and was acquired by the French. However, in the same year, the town was purchased by United States when it was acquiring lands under the Louisiana Purchase.

Saint Louis acted as a sort of gateway between the West and Missouri Valley in the past, and was frequented by people trading in fur, explorers and mountain men. The town was quite famous as a fur market back then. The town grew more in stature as people began residing there moving in from the West. This expansion in the population of the town was quite marked after the war that took place in 1812.

Saint Louis remained as capital of the Missouri territory till the year 1821, and it was at last incorporated as a city in the year 1822. The city became highly famous as a river port. Even after the city saw the arrival of railways, water transport continued to be widely used by its dwellers.

With the opening of the western branch of the American Fur Company by John Jacob Astor in the city during 1819, the city prospered a lot as a center of fur trade. The city also saw more development with the improvisation of the transport facilities in the form of railroads and steamboat traffic.

There were many industries that came up in Saint Louis including the automobile, chemical and steel industry. However, the industry sector in the city saw a bit of decline between from the 1950s till the 1990s. Over the years, the city has developed a lot and currently enjoys a great deal of prosperity.

There are a great deal of tourist attractions in Saint Louis and hence is frequented by innumerable visitors from different parts of the world. With a history as rich as the city, it is one of the most famous cities in the United States.

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