Up, up and away! In 2011, during Game 3 of the World Series St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols hit 3 home runs, a feat only Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson accomplished before him. The metropolitan city of St. Louis has a population over 2.8 Million and earned itself the nickname “mound city” because of the numerous mounds built by the Native Americans.
On this day February 15th, in 1764, the city of St. Louis is established by Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau. Both Pierre and Auguste were French fur traders who intended to use St. Louis, which they named after the crusader king Louis IX, as a trading and commerce post. Prior to the Louisiana Purchase, St. Louis had already become a bustling port and river town.
Once the Louisiana Purchase had gone through, it enhanced the already active economy. Soon after Jackson acquired the territory, in May 1804, Lewis and Clark left St. Louis and began their exploration of the West. The introduction of the steamboat revolutionized St. Louis trade, as it was easily available to transport goods back and forth between major hubs like New Orleans. The first steamboat arrived in St. Louis in 1817, and by the 1850s, there were over 5,000 steamboats coming in each year. Even during the 21st century, the rivers of St. Louis still play a crucial role in St. Louis’s economy by moving goods like grain, coal, salt, amongst other products, through America.