Central High School - Red and Black Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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re' V WW' it Q QF xr cf- X -AV1 M- - - - J mwm falsmm We sms. , ee-me weeks and then one day decided to visit an Indian tribe at Cahokia. He was Warned against going across the river where the English people were so hostile to him, but he disregarded this advice, declaring that he could take care of himself. After feasting during the day. he went into the woods at night and was struck on the head with a tomahawk and killed. As soon as this was heard, the governor ordered his body to be brought to St. Louis for burial. In the lobby of the old Southern Hotel on Broadway and Walnut Street, a tablet has since been erected in his honor. For some time the French had expected the coming of the Spaniards. When, in 1770, Don Pedro Piernas, the Hrst Spanish Commandant, came to St, Louis, he made no demonstration of authority. He received the city practically as it was, with very few changes to conform with Spanish law. He retained the appointees of the former government. He recognized the land grants made before his coming. In short he left St. Louis as he found it, ratified all that the community had done during its six years of existence, and proceeded along the lines familiar and acceptable to the seven hundred inhabitants. The Spanish governors enforced very limited government. Few Spanish laws were enforced except those bearing directly on the happiness and welfare of the people. In business affairs, in court contracts, and in practical essentials, the people of St. Louis went on governing themselves, much as they had done under the leadership of Laclede. The legal customs of the French continued to prevail. Arbitration was common in business differences. Of all the Spanish governors, de Leyba was the one who was remembered with repugnanze. His conduct during an Indian attack on the city in 1780 set the entire community against him. During the Spanish rule many buildings were erected, including the Government House, on the present site of First and Walnut. Although French customs and manners were retained, rezords were kept in Spanish. At the end of the Spanish rule there were 925 people living in St. Louis. Then St. Louis becomes a part of the United States! Under what con- ditions? On October 1, 1800, the Louisiana territory was ceded back to Franie, but it was not until 1802 that the Spanish king ordered the land to be delivered to France. Napoleon, the French ruler, was so taken up with wars in his own country that he had very little time to deal with this new land. Besides he was in great need of money. So, when the United States sent a man to France to see if they might purchase New Orleans, they were surprised to Hnd that Napoleon would sell, not only New Orleans, but the entire Louisiana territory for 515,000,000 The treaty transferring the Louisiana territory to the United States was signed in Paris, April 30, 1803. When it was learned that the Americans were coming, some of the people were disappointed ffor they had been happy under Spanish rulej while others were glad. The American troops Twenty-one

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.- , . am' 4 . e il L... 'T. '11'::f 'sfva :a:.1 a:1f':1f f K qi? M 'W' tew.'H'1-IE m ft territory to take the fur trade from St. Louis, but failed. Fur-trading pro- vided a romantic back- ground for the city. Men were taken away from their homes and sent into the wilderness, from which many never returned. But with all these problems St. Louis was an offspring of the fur trade and her growth for three-quarters of a century depended al- most entirely upon it. Heudzfuurlers of the American Fur Company al St. I.ol11's. 1855 St. Louis also had political trouble. New Orleans was objecting to the transfer of rule from France to Spain and was about to set up an independent government. lVlost of the people in St. Louis were relatives and friends of those in New Orleans, and for some time it was undecided whether these bonds of love would be strong enough to drag St. Louis into the revolutionary movement. The first attempt of Spain to enforce rule at New Orleans was made and at the same time forts were built at the mouth of the Missouri River above St. Louis. Spain's purpose was to absorb St. Louis. All these problems were successfully handled by Laclede in the large stone building that served as his home. lt was in his house that St. Louis was nursed. It was there that the government was established, not too elaborate, but suited to the needs of a com- munity that did not know whether it was under a colonial flag or was to be part of a new nation. When, in 1770, conditions became settled, there was nothing that Laclede and his associates had done that required undoing. St. Louis had faced and had overcome successive crises. The days of old St. Louis were. however, for the most part, happy ones. The French were light-hearted, hospitable people, unused to the luxuries of life and were contented with the conditions that they found. If any serious trouble did arise, it was settled by arbitration or bv one of the leading men. Civil government was inaugurated. Upon what authority? Land titles of the city trace back to that beginning. Was it self government? Was it consent of the governed, plain and simple, the basis of the law and order estab- lished in this community? If so, a chapter in American history is to be written. The principle of Americanism was born in St. Louisl There is one sad incident during the French rule in St. Louis that should not be overlooked. Of course, you have heard of Pontiac. It was in 1769 that this great Indian warrior came to St. Louis on a visit. He stayed several Tturntif

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, QE E AN EE.: JM SE' 4 under the leadership of Captain Stoddard were led up to the Government House. An impressive ceremony followed. Then Com- mandant Delassus passed the key to the Gov- ernment House to Captain Stoddard. The Spanish flag was hauled down and the French flag raised. Upon the request of Delassus the French flag was allowed to fly all night. The next day the French flag was lowered, ln its place, the stars and stripes of the United States waved. In but three days St. Louis had beheld three flags: the Spanish, the French, and the stars and stripes of our country. When Louisiana was purchased by the United States, St. Louis was known as the , capitol of Upper Louisiana. No one had thought of the land far to the west, but in 1804 President Jeflerson, after much prepara- tion and planning, sent an expedition under Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the Western territory. Pierre Chouleau. Jr. fl l'mm'vl of XI. laluu At last everything was ready, the St. Louis people gathered along the river bank to watch the boats move up. The blunderbus was discharged in salute: the cannon of the fort answered. Captain Clark, bidding good-by from the deck of the keel-boat, was in full dress uniform of red-trimmed coat and trousers, and gold epaulets, his sword at his belt, and his three-cornered chapeau on his red head. The sails swelled in the breeze, the men at the oars sang in French and shouted in English. All, save Captain Clark, were dressed for business- Corporal Warflngton's squad from St. Louis in United States uniform: nine Kentuckians in buckskin: the fourteen soldiers and civilians enlisted at the post, in flannel shirts and trousers of buckskin or coarse army cloth: the French boatmen in brightly fringed woolens, with scarlet 'kerchiefs about their heads. Rain was falling, but who cared! More than eight thousand miles were traveled during the two years, four months and nine days that the expedition was gone. When on September 23, 1806, they returned to St. Louis. They were welcomed as heroes. We can truly say that Lewis and Clark opened the great West. ln July, 1808, St. Louis asked to be incorporated as a town and the request was granted. The people of St. Louis lost no time in moving to incorporate. The first election was held on the twenty-third of July, 1808. The people elected five trustees to set up the new government. They were Auguste TLL'l'l7l tl- I Luo