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99th AALL Annual Meeting and Conference |
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99th AALL Annual Meeting and Conference |
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ST. Louis FAQ’s St. Louis was founded in 1763 near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers by Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau, French explorers and fur trappers. It was named for King Louis IX of France, the Crusader King. St. Louis was acquired from France by the United States under President Thomas Jefferson in 1803, as part of the Louisiana Purchase. The Lewis and Clark Expedition departed from the St. Louis area in May 1804. The steamboat era began in St. Louis in 1817 when the city became a bustling boomtown, commercial center, and inland port. By the 1850s, St. Louis had become the largest U.S. city west of Pittsburgh, and the second-largest port in the country, with a commercial tonnage exceeded only by New York. Missouri became a state in 1820. St. Louis was incorporated as a city on December 9, 1822. Immigrants flooded into St. Louis after 1840, particularly from Germany, Eastern Europe and Ireland. Unfortunately, two disasters occurred in 1849: a cholera epidemic, which killed nearly one-tenth of the population, and a fire, which destroyed numerous steamboats and a large portion of the city. During the Civil War, fighting barely touched St. Louis, but the war shut down trade with the South, devastating the city's economy. The 1874 construction of the Eads Bridge made St. Louis an important link in transcontinental rail travel, but too late to prevent Chicago from overtaking it as the largest rail hub in the nation. Still, by the 1890s, St. Louis was the nation's fourth largest city. The current boundaries of St. Louis were established in 1876, when voters approved separation from St. Louis County and establishment of a home rule charter. This split continues today. St. Louis City does not reside in St. Louis County. They are separate political entities. In 1904, the city hosted both the World's Fair and the Olympic Games. The World's Fair (officially called the Louisiana Purchase Exposition) took place in Forest Park and received more than 20 million visitors during its seven-month run. During the World’s Fair, the Third Olympiad, was held at Washington University's Francis Field, making the United States the firs t English-speaking country to host the Olympics. The median age is 34.4 years. The population is 43.1% White, 52.9% Black, and 2.1% Hispanic (2003 Census). The City of St. Louis is divided into 81 neighborhoods. They include:
The 2004 population estimate for St. Louis County , Missouri is 1,009,235. The median age is 38.7 years. The population is 74.6% White, 20.6% Black, 1.5% Hispanic (2003 Census). St. Louis County comprises 91 independent municipalities. Ones which you may be visiting include:
St. Louis is home to 21 Fortune 1000 companies such as Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., Emerson Electric, and Graybar Electric. Greater St. Louis ranks fifth in the United States as a headquarters location for Fortune 500 companies. The region's main industries include aviation, biotechnology, chemicals, electrical utilities, food and beverage manufacturing, refining, research, telecommunications and transportation. For more facts, visit the St. Louis Regional Commerce and Growth Association (RCGA). St. Louis has two law schools, St. Louis University School of Law and Washington University School of Law. Among the largest law firms in the area are:
The name of the city is pronounced St. Louis, never St. Louie. Forest Park is the seventh largest urban park in the United States, located on 1,371 acres in the center of the St. Louis metropolitan area. Forest Park is about 500 acres larger than New York City 's Central Park. The Gateway Arch is part of the National Park system. It is a 630-foot catenary arch made of stainless steel. Many St. Louis attractions, including the Zoo and the Art Museum, do not charge admission. See the tourism board guide or our Things to do for Free in St. Louis Guide. Route 66, the 2,448-mile highway, which ran from Chicago to California, went through St. Louis. F. Weather St. Louis is hot and humid in the summer. Bring light clothing, but include sweaters for air-conditioned rooms. Be prepared for summer thunderstorms. Check Weather.com for forecasts. G. Find out more St. Louis Tourism Official Site 3. Newspapers Riverfront Times (weekly free paper) St. Louis American (for the African American community) January 30, 2006 |
