The French Society of St. Louis invites you to celebrate:
The founding of the city of St. Louis!
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Wreath-laying ceremony at the statue of Pierre Laclède
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Saturday Feb 14, 2026 at 11:00AM
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The group will meet for lunch after the ceremony at:
Schlafly’s Tap Room
2100 Locust Street
St. Louis, MO 63103
To Attend:
Please send an e-mail to: societefrancaisestl@gmail.com
The Founding of St. Louis: A French Legacy on the Mississippi
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In February 1764, French fur trader Pierre Laclede and his 13-year-old stepson Auguste Chouteau stood on a limestone bluff overlooking the Mississippi River and envisioned a trading post that would become one of America's great cities.
Laclede had received a land grant from the French Crown to establish a strategic outpost. After scouting the river in late 1763, he chose this spot for its high ground, proximity to the Missouri River confluence, and ideal position for commerce. In April 1764, he named the settlement "St. Louis" in honor of King Louis IX of France, the crusader king who would become the city's patron saint.
Young Chouteau returned that February with a crew to build a warehouse and cabins. French families, eager to avoid British rule after the French and Indian War, crossed from Illinois to settle in this new French haven. St. Louis quickly became a vital fur trade hub, with keelboats bringing supplies along the great river.
The settlement passed through many hands: Spanish rule in 1770, a secret return to France in 1800, and finally American control with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Through it all, the city remained what it had always been: a gateway to new possibilities on the frontier.
Each year, we honor Laclede's vision with a wreath-laying ceremony at his statue, connecting us to our French heritage and the bold dreamers who built this city.