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St. Louis · USA

Overview

St. Louis was settled by New Orleans fur trader Pierre Laclède in 1764 at the junction of the Missouri River and the Mississippi River. This location proved ideal as St. Louis quickly surpassed its downstream neighbor, Ste. Genevieve, in growth. Indeed, by 1860 its population grew to more than 160,000.

St. Louis is known as the Gateway to the West. Certainly that was true for Lewis and Clark: it was here that they stopped for provisions while on their famous expedition. And in the years that followed, the city became a manufacturing center for wagons, guns, blankets, saddles, and everything the pioneer would need on a journey west.

Because of its size and location, St. Louis became a center for government offices and financial trade. The 1904 World's Fair brought increasing growth and diversification to the St. Louis marketplace.

The Roman Catholic Church dominated the religious life of early St. Louis, and it remains a powerful voice in the religious, social, and political debates of both city and state. The city's educational institutions, including Washington University and St. Louis University, are global leaders in scientific and social research. Forest Park's Muny Opera is the largest open-air theater in the nation, and the St. Louis Art Museum is known throughout the world.

St. Louis is indisputably a baseball town. Since the St. Louis Browns placed first in the major leagues in 1885, and the Cardinals won their first World Series title in 1926, fanatic love of the sport has been a way of life for many. Other sports come and go, but St. Louisans remain loyal to baseball.

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