About the St. Louis Region
Beginnings, possibility and discovery – the story of St. Louis, the story of America.
Settled by French trappers Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau in 1764, St. Louis started as a business opportunity: a central location at the confluence of two of the country’s most majestic waterways, the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. It is the perfect gateway for people and goods from the north and south, east and west.
1822 plan of St. Louis
With the completion of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803,
St. Louis evolved from trading post to major inland port, providing supplies for pioneers making their way ever westward and ferrying grain and produce back to the east coast from western farms. Along with the cargo came settlers including Catholic missionaries and German, Italian, Polish and Irish immigrants. By the late 19th century the city’s population expanded after the Civil War to become one of the country’s leading centers of industry and innovation.
And the community we’ve built together is exceptional:
- One of Parenting Magazine’s Best Cities for Families
- Among Careerbuilder.com’s top cities for recent college graduates.
- Home to one of Fox Sports’ top-10 best ballparks in Major League Baseball
- Kiplinger’s #1 destination on the 2012 list of Best Cities for Cheapskates – thanks to the large number of free museums and libraries
- One of the 10 leading cities for volunteerism according to the Corporation for National and Community Service