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DestinationsDestinationsOther |
St. Louis, Missouri Travel GuideINTRODUCTION St. Louis, Missouri has long been considered the United States’ gateway city to the west. This idea was put into physical form with the creation of St. Louis’ most recognizable landmark, The Gateway Arch in 1953. St. Louis is located on America’s largest river the Mississippi and is one of the few cities in the United States that is independent, meaning it is not part of a larger governmental area known as a county. St. Louis is strongly influenced by its French history and many of its older architecture and sculptures reflect this. HISTORY The St. Louis area has a long history because it is one of the regions in which Native American mound builders lived and built their mysterious mound dwellings. The Mississippi region, which the St. Louis area is a part of, was explored by the French during the late 1600s. The settlement of St. Louis was named after the French King, Louis XIV. The city began to grow prominently after the Treaty of Paris in which all land east of the Mississippi was signed over to England. St. Louis, which was west of the Mississippi, became one of the most important cities to the French Americas. St. Louis finally became a part of the United States during the monumental Louisiana Purchase of 1803. The Lewis and Clark Expedition started out in St. Louis in 1804, beginning St. Louis’ prominence as America’s gateway to the west. In 1817 the steamboat era began turning St. Louis into the second busiest port in the United States behind only New York City. In 1904 the city hosted the World Fair, and became the first American city to host the Olympics, cementing its importance as a truly international city. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Like most Midwestern cities St. Louis’ public transportation system is lax, so the best way to get around the city is by car. Also of note, is that St. Louis’ northern neighborhoods have some of the worst gang crime in the United States, making them worthy of avoidance. ATTRACTIONS RESTAURANTS 
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