Since this is the first episode, I’ll tell you a little bit about myself. I’m a native St. Louisan, born and raised, and I’ve always been interested in history—kind of grew up like a tourist in my own town. We were always going to museums and local attractions throughout the metro area.
Because this is a St. Louis podcast, I will let you know—I went to Mehlville High School in South County. It’s a St. Louis thing; we always have to know where people went to high school so we can make our assumptions and judgments about them.
While I plan to cover a variety of topics from all eras of St. Louis history, it made sense to me to start at the beginning: the founding of St. Louis.
Before we get any further, I’d like to make a little disclaimer about the pronunciation of all the French names that will be in today’s episode. I apologize for butchering them. I’m from St. Louis, and we have a special way of taking words from foreign languages and making them our own. So, I’m going to pronounce things the way that I’m familiar with and the way that I’ve heard them.
Early History and Context
Before we get to Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau sailing up the Mississippi River, let’s cover a little background about the area and the world events at the time.
The area of St. Louis in Missouri was first settled by the Mississippian Native Americans. They built the burial and ceremonial mounds that we’re used to seeing throughout the area, especially on the Illinois side. But their culture died out sometime in the 14th century.
At the time of the city’s founding, the Osage tribe lived in the region.
The area was first recorded by French explorers Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette in 1673. They explored the Mississippi River from the Great Lakes down to the Gulf of Mexico.
In 1678, La Salle claimed the area for France and referred to it as Louisiana Territory. He named it after King Louis XIV, who was king of France at the time.
Louisiana Territory essentially covered the middle of the country—from the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachian Mountains, and the Great Lakes down to the Gulf of Mexico.
Most European settlement in the area was first on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the 1690s and early 1700s. The French created a chain of forts and villages, including New Orleans, Kaskaskia, Fort de Chartres, and later St. Genevieve, the first permanent settlement in Missouri, founded in the 1730s on the west bank of the Mississippi.
Global Politics and the Seven Years War
At the time of St. Louis’s founding, the world was at the end of the Seven Years War (also known as the French and Indian War), which concluded with the Treaty of Paris in 1763. This was a global conflict primarily between France and Great Britain over land claims in North America.
As a result, French lands east of the Mississippi now belonged to Great Britain, and the Treaty of Fontainebleau in 1763 ceded French lands west of the Mississippi River to Spain. News of this treaty traveled slowly; Spain officially took possession in 1769. France and Spain were allies at the time, both ruled by the Bourbon family.
Founding Figures and Early Settlement
Let’s travel to New Orleans, founded in 1718 and the French capital in North America, where our story really starts.
Pierre Laclede immigrated to New Orleans in 1755, born to a prominent family in Béarn, in the Pyrenees. Some historians say he moved to make money, others say he was the second son and had little chance in France. He became a successful wholesale merchant, militia member, and part of elite society.
There he met Marie Therese Chouteau, who was married to René-Auguste Chouteau but couldn’t legally divorce him due to Catholic law. Marie and Laclede had a common law marriage and four children together, baptized under René Choteau’s name. Marie was also the mother of Auguste Choteau.
Laclede partnered with Gilbert-Antoine de St. Maxent, a merchant and militia commander, to form Maxent and Laclede Company. The Louisiana governor was seeking ways to generate revenue after the costly Seven Years War, so Maxent was granted a six-year fur trade monopoly in the territory.
Journey Up the Mississippi
On August 10, 1773, Pierre Laclede, Maxent, and 13-year-old Auguste Chouteau set sail up the Mississippi River with five plank boats loaded with supplies. The journey took about three months, slowed by dangerous river conditions, hot and humid weather, and Native American concerns.
They reached St. Genevieve on November 3, 1763, but didn’t settle there due to flooding risk. Instead, they stored cargo at Fort de Chartres on the Illinois side and purchased a homestead in Nouvelle Chartres for winter lodging.
In December, Laclede and Chouteau scouted the site for the new trading post near the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, settling on a bluff with limestone ledges, mounds, fresh springs, and timber — the future site of St. Louis.
Establishing St. Louis
Before building, they secured permission from the Osage tribe to establish the settlement, knowing their support was essential.
Construction began in February 1764 with clearing land and building warehouses. The land had 24 large earthen mounds and varied terrain of prairies, groves, and limestone cliffs.
Laclede left Chouteau in charge during parts of the work, returning periodically to New Orleans to trade and recruit settlers.
By April, the settlement was named St. Louis, after King Louis XVI and the Canaanite saint.
The city was laid out in a grid pattern similar to New Orleans, with 49 blocks, three main parallel avenues, and smaller cross streets. There were communal fields and prairie lands outside the town used for farming, hunting, and firewood.
Growth, Society, and Challenges
Early settlers included fur traders, craftsmen, militiamen, and their families, governed mostly by themselves since the official government was distant and slow to act.
Religion was Catholic, with no formal church building until 1771. The first permanent stone church was completed in 1776, now the site of the Old Cathedral.
Fur trading was the economic backbone. Laclede focused on sustaining the growing town, building a jail, mills, and investing in the community despite financial difficulties later in life.
Legacy
Laclede died in 1778 during a business trip. After his death, Maxent and Chouteau struggled to settle affairs, with Chouteau eventually building the elite social foundation of St. Louis.
The town flourished in the late 18th century, becoming a hub for fur trade and new settlements.
Despite changes in colonial powers—from France to Spain, back to France, then the U.S.—St. Louis grew into a unique city with diverse cultural influences and strong Native American relations.
You can find more at:
Twitter: @showme_history
Facebook: ShowMeHistorySTL
Until next time, I’ll see you in the Lou.