St. Louis, one of the oldest cities in Missouri, began when a man named Pierre Laclede Liguest discovered the perfect place for a trading post on a high bluff of the Mississippi River in 1763.
The first structures included a large house for the fur company’s headquarters, along with cabins and storage sheds. A post house was completed in September, 1764, becoming the focal point of the new village. From here, streets and buildings soon expanded, as trappers and traders populated the settlement.
In 1804, when the Louisiana Purchase was officially transferred to the United States, the settlement included a bakery, two taverns, three blacksmiths, two mills, and a doctor. Several grocers also operated from their homes, selling merchandise at outrageous prices due to high transportation costs.
From St. Louis, Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis & Clark to explore the new Louisiana Territory in May, 1804. Two years later, when the explorers returned in September, 1806, city became the "Gateway to the West” for the many mountain men, adventurers, and setters that followed the path of Lewis and Clark into the new frontier.
Our daily lives are highly influenced by trade yet we hardly think about it. Did you know that... Check out these 6 facts you didn’t know about trade and how they affect you shared by Huffingtonpost.com.