St. Louis, Missouri
Overview
 
St. Louis s is an independent city
Independent city (United States)
In the United States, an independent city is a city that does not belong to any particular county. Because counties have historically been a strong institution in local government in most of the United States, independent cities are relatively rare outside of Virginia , whose state constitution...

 on the eastern border of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St. Louis combined statistical area
Combined Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...

's population of 2,845,298 made it the 16th-largest urban area in the country, the fourth-largest in the Midwest, and the largest in the state.

The city of St. Louis was founded in 1764 by Pierre Laclède
Pierre Laclède
Pierre Laclède or Pierre Laclède Liguest was a French fur trader who, with his young assistant and "stepson" Auguste Chouteau, founded St...

 and Auguste Chouteau, and after the Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...

, it became a major port on the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

.
Timeline

1764    The city of St. Louis, Missouri is established.

1804    Louisiana Purchase: In St. Louis, Missouri, a formal ceremony is conducted to transfer ownership of the Louisiana Territory from France to the United States.

1806    Pike expedition: United States Army Lieutenant Zebulon Pike begins an expedition from Fort Bellefontaine near St. Louis, Missouri, to explore the west.

1806    Lewis and Clark return to St. Louis after exploring the Pacific Northwest of the United States.

1816    The Treaty of St. Louis is signed in St. Louis, Missouri.

1832    Black Hawk War: Around three-hundred United States 6th Infantry troops leave St. Louis, Missouri to fight the Sauk Native Americans.

1849    A fire threatens to burn St. Louis, Missouri to the ground.

1853    Washington University in St. Louis is founded as Eliot Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri.

1893    Nikola Tesla gives the first public demonstration of radio in St. Louis, Missouri.

1896    The F4-strength St. Louis-East St. Louis Tornado hits in St. Louis, Missouri and East Saint Louis, Illinois, killing at least 255 people and causing $2.9 billion in damage (1997 USD).

 
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