SAINT LOUIS 



5161 



SAINT LOUIS 



United States as a manufacturing center. Boots 

 and shoes are now the leading manufactured 

 products, having displaced tobacco products, 

 which rank second. One of the largest brew- , 

 cries in the world is located here; its storage 

 capacity is enormous, and its liquors are known 

 in every country. So immense is the business 

 of the great woodenware and hardware houses 

 that private railway tracks are necessary for 

 the handling of their shipments. Saint Louis is 

 noted for its extensive manufacture of railway 

 and street cars, clothing, furniture, baking pow- 

 der, soap and candles, and the output of its flour 

 mills and prist mills, packing houses, foundries 

 and machine shops is also important. 



History. The Saint Louis of to-day is the 

 outgrowth of the fur-trading post established 

 on this site by Auguste Chouteau in 1764. In 

 the same year Pierre Laclede Ligueste, his step- 

 father, formed a settlement here which was first 

 called Laclede's Village, but which soon after 

 was renamed in honor of Louis IX of France. 

 In 1770 France ceded all of its territory west of 

 the Mississippi River to Spain, and Saint Louis 

 became the capital of Upper Louisiana. One 

 memorable day in April, 1803, the village floated 

 three flags, when Louisiana Territory, which 

 had been transferred by Spain to France, was 

 transferred by France to the United States. 

 The place grew steadily in population and im- 

 portance, and in 1809 the town was incorpo- 

 rated. The first steamboat to visit the city was 

 the Pike, in 1815. In 1819 the western branch 

 of the American Fur Company was established 

 here by John Jacob Astor. About this time 

 large numbers of settlers were coming from 

 Virginia. Tennessee and the Carolinas, and in 

 1822 a city charter was granted. The year 1849 

 is memorable for an epidemic of cholera which 

 caused the death of 4,000 people and for a fire 

 which destroyed property valued at several 

 million dollars. During the following ten years 

 the growth of the city was marvelous. 



The first railroad (the Missouri Pacific) was 

 constructed from Saint Louis in 1854. The first 

 ironclad gunboats of the United States were 

 built here by Captain James B. Eads in 1861. 

 Under the Scheme and Charter, adopted in 1876, 

 th< city became independent of county govern- 

 in, nt and taxation. Saint Louis has been 

 pcatedly visited by fire, flood and epidemic, 

 but the greatest calamity in its later history was 

 a tornado, in 1896; it lasted less than twenty 

 minutes, but in that brief time destroyed aev- 

 ives and swept away $10,000,000 

 worth of property. Th. LM. it nu h.|,| in 



Research Questions on 

 Saint Louis 



(An Outline ultable for Saint L,oul 

 will be found with the article < it> . , 



When did the city float three flags In 

 one day, and why? 



How many cities in the United States 

 are larger than Saint Louis? 



How does it compare in size with the 

 one that ranks next above it? With 

 the one that ranks next below it? See 

 list In article CITY. 



What great exposition was held in 

 Saint Louis? Why was there a special 

 fitness in having it in this city? 



What well-known poet was born in 

 this city? How is his birthplace 

 marked? 



What double disaster did the city en- 

 dure in 1849? 



What might you have seen in the old 

 courthouse at Saint Louis sixty years 

 ago that you would not see to-day? 



What was the first settlement on this 

 site named? In whose honor was the 

 city given its present name? 



What special advantage would a stu- 

 dent of botany have in Saint Louis that 

 he would not find in any other city in 

 the United States? 



How does the Union Station in this 

 city rank with the railway stations of 

 the country as to size? 



What is Saint Louis's "little sister" 

 city? How is it connected with Saint 

 Louis? 



Where may you see two trees planted 

 by English actresses, and in whose 

 honor were they planted? 



On what part of the city site was the 

 first settlement made? To what is that 

 region given over to-day? 



What President of the United States 

 was married in Saint Louis? 



What was his occupation later when 

 he lived in that 



What is the largest of the recreation 

 grounds of Saint Louis? How does it 

 compare in area with the largest park 

 in Chicago? 



What are the exclusive residential 

 districts called? 



Why would this city have almost 

 as good a right as has Philadelphia to 

 be called a *x:ity of homes T" 



What is the most imposing religious 

 structure in the city? 



Where are some of the finest stone 

 ings in the United States to be 

 tanf 



What very important innovations in 

 education were Introduced in connection 

 win i the Saint Louis schools? 



By whom were they Introduced? 

 position did he afterward hold? 



What accounted for the earh 

 merclal prosperity of the city? Why is 

 thlH factor no longer of as great Im- 

 portance as It was formerly? 



What was the first great industry of 

 s.i lot Louts? 



How does the city rank to-day In this 

 same Industry? 



What is the popular name for the 

 city, and why was It given? 



To how many nations has this region 

 i . i.-iik,'. .1" 



When was the first railroad from 

 Louis built? What was It? 



What disaster visited the city in 

 1896? How much damage did i' 



