St. Louis, MO

Early History –
    Selected as a site for a trading post because the location was not subject to flooding and was near the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, St. Louis was named after Louis IX of France in 1764.  Since the fur trade was a dominant player in the economy of the 18th century, the majority of the inhabitants of St. Louis were French, and this remained so well into the 19th century.  In 1803, when St. Louis finally fell into United States territory, it was said that the city flew three flags – Spanish, French, and American – all in the same day.  Also in that year, Lewis and Clark began their historic journey across the American West to the Pacific Ocean.  On the edge of the frontier, St. Louis became an important center of commerce and trade while beginning to attract immigrants from all sorts of backgrounds.  
    In 1904, the world was focused on the mid-west city.  St. Louis played host to the World’s Fair, which was dubbed the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, as well as the 1904 Olympics, which ran with the Fair.  Over 20 million people visited the Fair during its seven month run.  The population of the city reached 800,000 by 1940, and peaked by 1950.  Many of the cities inhabitants began moving to suburbs of the city to get more space, and to get out of the neighborhoods that had been greatly affected by the Great Depression in the 1930’s.  In an effort to revitalize the cities central business district, construction of the Gateway Arch in 1965 and Busch Memorial Stadium in 1966, and a refurbishing of Union Station in 1985 took place.  A tax reform in 1986 further helped to revitalize the city, leading to construction of the MetroLink light rail line, the Savvis Center (formerly the Kiel Civic Center), the Edward Jones Dome (formerly the Trans World Dome), and an expansion of the Convention Center.  Today, five Fortune 500 companies call the city of St. Louis home and countless smaller companies are growing larger each year.  

Politicians - Governor Blunt - Attorney General Jay Nixon, who is running for governor.

Local Attractions -
    There are several attractions in and around St. Louis that are unique to the city.  The first of which is the St. Louis Zoo located in Forest Park.  The oldest part of the Zoo is the Flight Cage that was built for the Worlds Fair in 1904.  In 1910, the city gave 77 acres for the Zoo, and State legislation decided later that “the zoo shall be forever free.”  The St. Louis Zoo remains one of the few zoos with free admission.  
    The Gateway Arch is probably the most dominant feature in downtown St. Louis.  Standing over 630 feet in the air, the Arch symbolizes the role that the city played as the “gateway” to the American West.  Outfitted with a tram system, visitors can travel inside the Arch to the observation deck on top and look down on downtown St. Louis and riverfront.  
    Not too far from St. Louis is the Lake of the Ozarks, which is a popular summer destination. Many families from around the Midwest gather at the Lake because there are vacation homes for rent right on the lake which is unique to most lake destinations.  
     The St. Louis Science Center has something for all ages.  With exhibits ranging from weather, the human body, aviation, to nature the Science Center is continuously adding new and exciting adventures for the mind.  The Science Center is also home to a Planetarium and an OmniMax Theater which features a different film every month or so.  
    For visitors that like to explore older historical sites, the Cahokia Mounds Historic Site is just the place for them.  The site is located just 8 miles from downtown St. Louis in Collinsville, IL, and features the remnants of the Mississippian’s central city of Cahokia.  With earthen mounds dating back to the late 1600’s, visitors can explore the mounds on trails, or visit the Interpretive Center to learn more about the culture of the people who lived their, and why they aren’t there any more.  
    For visitors who like to explore newer historical site, Laclede’s Landing provides a glimpse of St. Louis’ past as trading hub on the Missouri River.  Featuring some of the areas best restaurants and clubs, the Landing is home to the nation’s longest-running dinner theatre, The Royal Dumpe.  The cobblestone streets and horse-drawn carriage rides give visitors the total 19th century experience. The Katy Trail also spans the state.

Sports –
    Anyone from the St. Louis area will tell you that it is a great sports town, and many “experts” feel the same.  In 1998, Baseball America magazine named the city “America’s Best Baseball City.”  In 2000, Sports Illustrated continued this thinking calling St. Louis “America’s best baseball city.”  In 2002, the St. Louis Sports Commission was chosen by the National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC) as the “Sports Commission of the Year.”
    St. Louis is home to three professional sports teams, including:  the St. Louis Cardinals (MLB), the St. Louis Rams (NFL), and the St. Louis Blues (NHL).  All three of these franchises compete for their respective league championships every year.  The Cardinals have won 9 World Series championships, the most for any team in the National League.  The Cardinals almost won their 10th championship in 2004, but fell to the Boston Red Sox.  The Rams won Super Bowl XXXIV in early 2000, by defeating the Tennessee Titans 23-16.  That Super Bowl was voted by fans on a CNNSI.com poll as being “the best Super Bowl ever.”  The Blues are the only National Hockey League team to appear in the playoffs every year in the 1980’s and 1990’s.  After the 1999/00 season, the Blues had the best regular season record in the NHL, and won the Presidents Trophy for that accomplishment.  
    St. Louis is also the home of several other sports teams and attractions that many people don’t know about.  The International Bowling Museum and Cardinals Hall of Fame is a joint venture that showcases bowling from ancient to modern times, and the history of baseball in the city.  Gateway International Raceway hosts NASCAR and NHRA events annually.  St. Louis is also the home to several major universities that feature some of the nations top sports programs.  Washington University’s women’s basketball team won the NCAA D-III title in 1998, 1999, and 2000.  Saint Louis University’s men’s basketball team won the Conference USA Men’s Basketball Tournament in 2000, and the soccer team has won 10 NCAA Division I titles.  St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley has won seven national junior college titles.  The University of Missouri-St. Louis has won an NCAA Division II championship; St. Louis Community College at Meramec has won two national junior college titles; and, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville has won two national soccer championships.

Real Estate -
    Get advice from Realtors if you are planning on moving to the area.  They can give you advice regarding what area you may want to look at in order to accommodate your needs.  If you are already buying a property and need a mortgage, you can find a St. Louis Appraiser to get your appraisal completed.

Business-
Missouri has a growing business community that is supported by government grants and Angel Investors and Missourians have a great entrepreneurial spirit.


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