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Top real estate agents in Kirkwood

Kirkwood, MO is a city that is located in the western inner-ring suburbs of St. Louis in St. Louis County. The population of the city was 27,540 as recorded in the 2010 census. The city is named after James P. Kirkwood who built the Pacific Railroad through the town. It was founded in 1853 and was the first suburb to be planned that would lie west of the Mississippi River.

The fire of St. Louis occurred in 1849 and the city also suffered from a cholera outbreak before and after the fire. One tenth of the residents of St. Louis were killed during this time and therefore the idea was put forward to start a new community outside of the St. Louis city boundaries. Kirkwood became this community.

In 1850 land which was located 14 miles from downtown was purchased by Richard Smith Elliot and Hiram W. Leffingwell. This coincided with the time that James P. Kirkwood was building the Pacific Railroad. It was decided that the city should be named after him and Kirkwood was platted in 1852. Lots were sold for the top real estate agents in Kirkwood Association in 1853 when the railroad reached the city. Leffingwell designed a number of areas in the city including Grand Avenue and Forest Park. There were restrictions in the deeds that prohibited buildings being constructed for industrial use.

The train station was built in 1893. It was constructed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style and soon came to be seen as the symbol of the town. Today it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are four other places in Kirkwood on this register including the Frank Lloyd Wright house which is located in Ebsworth Park.

Other attractions in the city include the Meramac Highlands resort which was built on the bluffs above the Meramac River in 1895. The National Museum of Transportation is a private museum that was founded in 1944. It is open to visitors and gives guests the chance to explore 150 years of transportation history in the United States.

Modern Traditions In Kirkwood

The Greentree Festival has been held in Kirkwood Park every September since 1961. It was originally held to replace trees in the park that had been stricken by drought. The festival consists of a parade and fair and there are many arts and crafts activities for people to take part in.

The Turkey Day Game between the Kirkwood High School Pioneers and the Webster Groves Statesman is the longest running football rivalry west of the Mississippi. In 2007 the 100th anniversary of the game was celebrated. The two teams take it in turns to be the host of the game. The Frisco Bell is awarded to the winners of the game whereas the losers get the Little Brown Jug.

Over 300 local businesses attend the Kirkwood Farmer’s Market on a regular basis. The market was founded in 1976. There is a wide range of homegrown fruits and vegetables available at the market.

St. Louis Children’s Museum is located in Kirkwood and is often referred to as The Magic House. It is one of the most popular family attractions in the area. The building that houses the museum was built in 1901 but it has undergone several renovations since then.

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Ladue Missouri History and News

Visit the tree-canopied neighborhood of Ladue – where not only locals but visitors can have a great time and experience a rather unique dining and shopping experience. Upscale menswear, European/American antiques, fashion boutiques, gourmet foods, jewelry stores, and interior design resources are all available to visit in the city of Ladue.

Make your start at Schneithorst Village – where you can visit the local boutiques, have a great breakfast or brunch, and find places to exercise.

Once you have finished with that, go down to the Clayton Road Business District, east of the village, to visit a small community (of about a quarter of a mile), filled with several different interesting shops, bars, restaurants, ice cream shops, smoothie shops, as well as a hardware store for your needs. The local pharmacy also houses the US Post Office, so take advantage of the convenience in mailing souvenirs and the like to friends and family back home.

After you have poked around a little bit, go down past Ladue City Hall, to find the ClayPrice Shopping Center – which not only contains several local restaurants, but also jewelry stores and specialty stores.

At the east end of the community, the Colonel Marketplace and Ladue Crossing, you can also find another ice cream shop, a bookseller, more local restaurants and other unique haunts.

It doesn’t matter what you’ve come to Ladue to do – whether it’s the grocery shop, find a unique, one of a kind piece of jewelry, a designer gown, an antique clock, what time happy hour is, or where the best place to get a bite to eat is – Ladue is has everything you’ll ever need.

Dear Friends and Neighbors, fall has always been busy with our town. Our road crews are just about finished up making repairs and regular maintenance on the sidewalks and roads to prepare for winter.

We will have to rake up the leaves before long and we are looking forward to a productive and busy holiday season. Ladue has several public utility projects that will be carried out – the largest one being the MSD Sanitary Sewer Replacement DC-02/DC-03 Project. The construction management firm Black and Veatch have been hired by MSD. If you have any concerns or questions about the project, please call Kevin Nelson at (314-802-7038). Also, Ameren is working on a project that should increase the reliability of electricity and reduce power outages. Laclede Gas is also updating some of their lines.

While City staff and officials have always worked to support all public utilities and are the first to advocate on your behalf, as well as for the common good, it is important to note that each utility maintains its own infrastructure. While maintenance work is always appreciated, it should be noted that it can be disruptive sometimes, and we ask for your patience and cooperation. We are always here to advocate for you.

Ladue City has an incredibly comprehensive plan on its way – this is a way for the City to showcase its vision for the future. We thank the Zoning and Planning Commission, City Council, and the Citizen Advisory Committee for their participation throughout this entire process. We look forward to hearing the thoughts of our informed citizenry.

The Annual Trustee Meeting was very well attended and I was glad to meet with our new trustees and reconnect with our remaining members. Lane trustees know such a wealth and depth of information, that if you ever have any questions, you should definitely contact one of them. They represent you and will be happy to answer your questions. We are always in contact with our lane trustees and trust them to inform you of the comings and goings. Several of the improvements we’ve made over the past few years have been based on the feedback from the lane trustees.

Ladue has recently launched a social networking page – on Facebook and Instagram. “Like” our page – the City of Ladue – if you have not already, and hit the follow button on Instagram to get the most important news about Ladue delivered straight to your phone instantly. We also have a website where you can sign up for email alerts! Check it out to see our regularly added content!

We do have a 24-hour police presence in town – which has helped cut down on the need for our services – but please remember to lock your doors and valuables! Some arrests have been made, but it is suspected that there are several groups operating in the wider St. Louis area. If you see anything you believe to be suspicious, please call 911 – we are here for you!

Shop local and support the great city of Ladue!

The Ladue Garden Club has launched a site called laduegardenclub.org. Visit the site and find information on your favorite native plants, find inspiration in arrangements, and join the new committee – Ladue A Tree City. Articles on recycling and composting will be available later this year! We also have a list of grant recipients over the past ten years!

The Ladue Garden Club link is also available to you on the City of Ladue website, under the Conservation Conversation page. Trust the top real estate agent in Ladue for your needs!

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Clayton, MO: A Unique and Special Place

As you take in a long look at Clayton, Missouri, you quickly discover that it is a very special place indeed. First of all, when people say that Clayton is a very unique place you will soon figure out that this is not only true, it’s an understatement. Clayton has one of the best mixes of both a historic neighborhood as well as a beautiful neighborhood. It also has a multitude of commercial shops as well as a school district that is so well-respected it has even won several great awards. Couple this with a commitment to public art, sustainability, and green spaces, and you will have a community that will be a winner for your family each and every time.

The housing examples located in this community will encompass several different living styles, from single-family homes to condominiums. There are even high-rise apartments! The city urban planner Henry Wright wanted to emphasize a neighborhood design that would showcase what he called “lifetime living” and it would also be able to give residents both the ability to “downsize” and to “upsize” as well. He also believed in popular “common areas” such as parks and the like.

“Walkability” was also an important characteristic that these early urban planners wanted to emphasize. They succeeded in creating a community where most of the residential areas are within walking distance of public areas such as the restaurants, shopping malls, parks, and schools that make the area famous. Clayton has a multitude of recreational activities for those who are into healthy habits. These would include such diverse activities as a regulation outdoor pool, an ice rink, several trails and playgrounds, and the award-winning Shaw Park. You will also find state-of-the-art fitness, athletic, and meeting areas in Clayton’s community center as well.

One of the main goals of the Metropolitan St. Louis area has always been economic vitality and Clayton more than does their part! They are home to several different corporations and also at least three institutions of higher learning: Fontbonne University, Washington University, and Concordia Seminary. The area also has many top-rated preschools within area churches.

Of course, when it comes to delivering community services, the main goal of Clayton has always been to stay as sustainable as possible. That is why they take pride in the fact that their police department is platinum LEED-certified and that they have some of the largest arrays of solar panels within the state. Moreover, Clayton is consistently designated as a Tree City USA site and they have an internationally-accredited public safety department.

When the city was incorporated in 1913, they began evolving from a small town to the bustling city that they are known as today. They accomplished this through community involvement, business and residential cooperation, and transparency in all of their endeavors. Continuing this tradition is something I look forward to!

This history starts way back in 1876 when the city of St. Louis was anxious to break away from their more rural neighboring counties. They passed an ordinance to split from St. Louis County, and this left the county courts that were within the city limits without a permanent home. Thus, they decided to designate a site donated by two Virginia farmers, Martin Hanley and Ralph Clayton.

Clayton was a native Virginian who was born there in 1788. He came west in the 1830s, and he was an active participant in helping local politicians find new land for their county seat. Although they were originally considering the far-off places of Kirkwood and Mount Olive, Clayton convinced them that his land was better, simply because it was only a “day’s ride from the courthouse.” He donated the land, and the only thing he asked in return was that it bears his name.

On the other side of things, there was Martin Hanley. He was mostly interested in establishing himself as a blacksmith and merchant in 1834. However, he also wanted to help Clayton, so he a little bit of his land to sweeten the pot. Although nothing is named after Hanley, he built a farmhouse that is still standing on the north side.

December 4, 1877, was when county residents decided to make Hanley and Clayton’s land into the county seat. They waited a few months and then 3,000 people got together and watched the cornerstone of the new courthouse being laid. They completed the building and it cost $25,000.

It took 25 years, but the town grew from nothing but forests and farmland to the makings of a small community. Other important events included the first newspaper and schoolhouse being constructed in the 1880s; the volunteer fire department is organized in 1897, and the phone lines being constructed not soon after that.

Coming Into Its Own

Clayton started coming into its own in 1913 when it was incorporated. They had been talking about doing this for several years, but it had always been nothing more than just debate until they learned in 1913 that the leaders in nearby University City were planning to annex the town. They decided to incorporate on April 14, 1913, after voters approved the measure. They chose well-known architect William Broadhead to be the city’s first mayor. In the coming decade, many prominent St. Louis residents decided to relocate to Clayton because they liked that it was quieter than St. Louis. The population of Clayton swelled from 3,000 in 1920 to 7,000 people in 1925.

Like everywhere else, Clayton experienced difficult times during the Great Depression. However, they had a lack of heavy industry and manufacturing jobs, and that helped prevent them from being one of the hardest-hit areas. Charles Shaw was mayor of Clayton from 1933 to 1940, and he initiated several public works projects that vastly improved Clayton. Because of his efforts, they named a public park in his honor.

The late 1940s saw Clayton go through a business and building boom that transformed it from simply a suburb of St. Louis to one of the main hubs of the city. They re-zoned many different areas in 1952, and this would later go on to become the Central Business District. The city fathers also decided to revamp the charter five years later, and it was approved by voters in 1957.

As the city continues to grow, it will remain a testament to those who worked hard to make it prosper. The fact that it had both an urban and rural flair is a true testimony to the spirit of the original pioneers. Contact your top real estate agent in Clayton to inquire about purchasing property today.

St. Louis Homes for Sale

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thewallnerteam · 5 years ago

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How to Sell Your House in St. Louis 2

For most property owners, buying that first piece of real estate turned out to be a major financial decision. It may still be your most valuable financial asset. Yet, the value of a home can’t be measured in market worth alone. Your home is your castle, your fortress and your place of peace. It holds memories, ambitions and years of hard work. So, it’s important to recognize the emotional impact of later going on to sell a first property.

If you’re preparing to sell your house in St. Louis, make sure you’re ready for both the emotional and practical requirements. Finding a buyer is just the beginning. After securing a new owner for your property, there’s lots of administrative work to do. You may need to renovate or redecorate depending on your home’s current condition. This article will help you decide if you’re ready to sell and, if you are, what steps to take next.

7 Steps to a Successful Property Sale

Appoint a Top Rated Property Agent

There is certainly no shortage of real estate agents. It’s important to establish what type of advice you need at an early stage because it will help you separate the superb agents from the unsuitable ones. Finding the right property agent can be the difference between an enriching experience and a stressful one. So, try not to rush this part of the process.

Our advice, in this situation, is to avoid word of mouth recommendations. You may have a buddy who knows a guy who knows a guy, but it’s safer to search for your agent through traditional channels. Look for individuals with a lot of verifiable experience (customer testimonials, industry awards, years served, etc.) Search for an agent who delivers honest advice based on your specific goals.

Some property owners go it alone and sell their homes without the help of an estate agent. This can be successful but, in most cases, the property ends up being sold for less than it would with an experienced professional at the helm. It’s very difficult to match the skills of a qualified agent when it comes to marketing, listing and valuation. If you’re determined to go the route of For Sale By Owner (FSBO), don’t forget you still have to pay commission to the agent working on a buyer’s behalf.

Run a Comparative Market Analysis

This is something else your estate agent can help you with. In fact, the best way to get a reliable valuation of a property is to stand back and let an objective third party make the calculations. Yes, you can do it yourself but it’s easy to be clouded by the weight of experiences and memories spent inside a family home.

The truth is most homeowners aren’t in the best position to value a lived in property. Find a trustworthy agent and let them complete a Comparative Market Analysis. This is a free reporting process which determines the probable value of your home by comparing it to properties of a similar size, design and circumstance.

With the help of an estate agent, it’s a relatively straightforward task. You’ll need to supply blueprints or property maps, high quality photographs and several pages of detailed information about the home. The goal is to end up with a property valuation that’s entirely based on fact and not colored by emotions.

Establish a Sales Timeline

Not every property owner knows exactly how or when they want to sell their home. Often, circumstances change, and deadlines have to be altered. Nevertheless, it’s still important to have a rough idea of when each part of the sales process needs to be completed. For instance, when are you going to list the property? How long, ideally, do you want to be waiting between first listing and showing the property.

Don’t forget, the quickest timeframe is not always the best timeframe. If you start getting interest right away, is your home ready to show? Do you need extra time to prepare it for showings and, if so, should you prepare it or list it first? Use the following timeline tips to establish a schedule for your listing and sale:

Do It Now – (1) appoint a real estate agent, (2) ask your agent to help you draw up a professional listing and sales timeline, (3) start decluttering your home and putting non-essential items into storage.

2 -3 Months – (1) schedule a professional property inspection; check for any structural issues and arrange repairs if required, (2) consult with your property agent on how to spend to maximize the home’s value.

1 – 2 Months – (1) prepare the property for showings by deep cleaning, cleaning carpets, retouching painted surfaces, adding decorative elements (2) start scheduling showings with prospective buyers.

Schedule an Inspection with a Surveyor

Sellers are strongly encouraged to schedule a professional property inspection (with a qualified expert) shortly before or after listing. It’s an important part of the sales process because it gives you the chance to identify any necessary repairs before the property gets listed and scrutinized by others.

You can carry out an inspection after the property has been valued and listed. However, if faults or problems are identified at this stage, it’s may be difficult to make repairs without informing prospective buyers and, potentially, affecting the chance to sell your house in St. Louis quickly. We recommend a presale (prelisting) inspection because it puts official values on property imperfections and prevents buyers from demanding unfair discounts because of them.

Prepare the Property for Viewings

If you are confident there are no pressing structural issues and no urgent renovations to complete, it’s time to start staging your home. This is a fairly simple process, but it can take a long time, particularly if your property is large and filled with lots of furniture and personal belongings. Check the following tasks off your list when staging:

Apply Fresh Paint – after a few years of intense living, most properties need a fresh coat of paint. You don’t have to redecorate every room, but we recommend retouching high traffic areas (to remove handprints, stains, blemishes, etc) and replacing bright, bold colors with softer, more neutral tones like white and cream.

Deep Clean – yes, it’s a time consuming and potentially frustrating task. However, presenting prospective buyers with a sparkling clean house should be a priority. Don’t forget to deep clean well worn rugs and carpets.

Get Rid of Clutter – the goal is to present house viewers with a reasonably neutral and appropriately informal version of your property. They should be able to picture themselves living in the home and this won’t be possible if it’s full of personal items. Some personal effects (photos, toys, trinkets, etc) are fine but, ideally, there should be a minimum amount of non-essential items in the home during viewings.

Add Appealing Extras – ‘staging’ includes cleaning, decluttering and adding additional items to the property to increase its visual appeal. This might mean indoor plants, stylish home furnishings, garden furniture, artwork, storage products and more. You don’t need to spend a fortune on this; just add small details to bring out your home’s personality.

Replace Broken Fixtures – it might not seem like a big deal but even something as small as a cracked drawer handle or blown light bulb can negatively affect viewers’ first impressions. The little details count; make sure cracked and chipped fixtures are replaced and blemishes on furniture and surfaces covered up.

Wash the Windows – this is something lots of sellers forget to do until the last minute when it’s already too late. During viewings, try to flood rooms with as much natural daylight as possible. This will make them appear bigger, friendlier and more appealing. First, however, make sure all the windows are free of streaks and stains.

Prepare Before the Showings Occur

If you have family pets, they’ll need to be removed from the property for the duration of viewings. It’s something every good estate agent or advisor recommends. Even if your dog is quiet and well behaved, it’s a distraction. The last thing you want is to be worrying about whether a viewer is going to react positively to their presence. It’s not worth the risk; where possible, arrange to have pets taken to another location.

Sometimes, a showing will pop up last minute and it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth the unexpected intrusion. The reality is all viewing opportunities are valuable. If you’re serious about selling your property, be ready for any showing by getting into the habit of storing toys and other belongings out of sight.

Selling a family home is an undoubtedly emotional process and may involve some emotional strain for you. Nevertheless, you’ve got to behave objectively to get the best sale. Wherever possible, try to accommodate viewer’s needs. Yes, it’s inconvenient but the faster you find a buyer, the sooner you can start your next adventure. If you repeatedly refuse viewings or demand compromises from prospective buyers, they’ll simply lose interest.

Negotiate the Contract and Close

Your estate agent should guide you through this entire process so don’t worry if you’re not sure how to get started. Negotiations only begin after a prospective buyer has formally submitted an offer (with a buying price). You are free to accept this offer, but you should not do so until after you have discussed the purchase proposal in detail with your agent.

Do not sign any purchasing documents until you are sure about what is included, what is not included and how either might affect your end of the deal. Carefully consider the following details and consult your agent for their advice: (1) purchase price, (2) closing date, (3) any special allowances for personal property, home improvements or closing costs, (4) contingency requirements for the property inspection, appraisal and buyer financing, (5) any extra contingencies relating to sale of a prospective buyer’s property.

Preparing to sell your home in St. Louis is about being ready for every possible outcome. So, while it’s important to focus on the future and a potential sale, take a few tentative steps to protect yourself just in case the opposite occurs. For instance, don’t cancel your home insurance policy until it’s certain the deal is going through.

What Is a Realistic Timeframe for Selling a Property?

This is a tricky question because it depends entirely on circumstance. The timeframe is different for everybody. The average time from listing to sale (final closing) is around sixty days. This is just an average, remember, but it might help to keep it in mind when starting out on your selling journey. The following variables can have an impact on how quickly you are able to sell a property:

Popularity of the Area – unsurprisingly, if your neighborhood is very popular with buyers, you’ll probably get offers quickly. Less in demand areas may have longer selling timeframes because they attract less interest. If this is the case for your home, you may need to work extra hard to make your property stand out from all the rest.

Seasonal Interest – according to nationwide studies, the best time to list a property for sale is in the spring. This is true for lots of different areas but it’s still a good idea to check in case your neighborhood sees more interest at different times. Statistics like this can give you some guidance but, ultimately, that’s all they are: suggestions.

Local Amenities – the more amenities your home is close to, the more it will appeal to prospective buyers. Schools, doctor’s surgeries, supermarkets, parks and leisure centers are all in high demand because most families need them. On the other hand, features like congested roads, crime statistics and poor infrastructure can all bring value down.

Price Point – it makes sense to assume, if you’re selling an atypically large property, fewer buyers will be able to afford it. So, you may need to wait longer to see interest. Large estates and mansion type properties are extremely valuable but often require a slightly different approach to listings and negotiations.

Repairs and Renovations – if you decide to carry out renovations after listing the property, be aware this may lengthen the sale time. It depends when you complete the work and whether it affects viewings and the potential close date.

Your Buyers – commonly, a buyer must wait for their current property to be sold or for a mortgage approval to be made before they can close on a deal. This is something you may need to consider and discuss. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide if waiting on a buyer is worthwhile.

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Clayton

1876 was the year that St. Louis decided to break away from its “country cousins” and remove itself from the purview of St. Louis County. As a result of this, several county courts were left without an official home. It was not until Martin Hanley and Ralph Clayton, two farmers from Virginia, donated the land that the County then decided to house the homeless courts upon.

Both Clayton and Hanley were born in Virginia; both emigrated outside of their place of birth. Clayton was born in 1788 and went west in the 1830s. The city of Clayton, eventually named after him, is where he settled down and made his trade. When the issue of where the courts would be placed came up for St. Louis County, Clayton offered up a plot of his land, around half a day’s ride from St. Louis, as a better alternative to Mount Olive and Kirkwood–two villages that were located much further away. After some negotiations, Clayton donated the land under the condition that the courthouse would be named after him. Hanley was born in 1834 in Virginia but came to Missouri as a young man. He made his trade as a blacksmith and merchant and eventually built a two-story farmhouse in town. This farmhouse still stands to this day. He owned land east of Clayton’s proposed gift to the County, so that was accepted for a total of 104 acres donated for the courthouses. Today those donated acres from Clayton and Hanley are now covered with the Central Business District of the City.

The land donated by Clayton and Hanley was not officially accepted by the County until December 4, 1877, by the residents of the newly founded County. It would take another few months after that for the courthouse to actually be built–an event that cost around $25,000 and was witnessed by around 3,000 people.

It would take another 25 years, but Clayton slowly grew from virgin forest land to a small town with some residents. The main source of income was through the courthouse, so any businesses that settled there were catered to the courthouse.

Clayton received its first schoolhouse in 1880, along with the local newspaper; in 1895 they had an electric trolley service, and the volunteer fire department was formed in 1897 following their first emergency fire.

City of Clayton

Clayton was formally incorporated as its own city in February of 1913. This was something that had been discussed with residents of Clayton ad nauseum for years, but formal action as not taken until the neighboring city, University City, put forth plans to formally annex Clayton. William Broadhead became Clayton City’s first mayor, after a vote on April 14, 1913, by residents of Clayton to become its own city.

He was the first resident of the newly formed city to build a house, back in 1880.

By then, Clayton had already begun growing quite steadily but experienced quite a boom of settlers when wealthy and prominent residents of St. Louis decided to escape the crowded city life and settle in Clayton. This sparked a trend, as many followed them, and in the 1920s the growth of Clayton’s population was unparalleled. From 1920 to 1925, the population of Clayton went from 3,000 to 7,000 residents, and by the end of the 1920s, the real estate value of Clayton had tripled in response.

When the Great Depression hit, Clayton was somewhat insulated from the worst of it, as their industry did not depend on heavy industry or manufacturing to keep going, like other cities. So their poverty and unemployment rates were not as bad as their neighbors. They built a city hall in 1931 and became somewhat known for their progressive leadership, resulting in impactful civic initiatives. For example, the Works Progress Administration was implemented by Charles Shaw, a former banker and real estate developer, who was also the mayor of Clayton from 1933 to 1940. This Administration built a library, public park, and widened the streets.

St. Louis Jewel

It was not until the tail end of the 1940s that Clayton transformed from a quiet suburb to a city, teeming with life. In 1952, the area where the Central Business District would be built was rezoned and created, which allowed retail and commercial businesses to expand exponentially. A new charter, one that addressed the needs of a growing city, was created and signed into law in 1957, which gave power to the mayor and six aldermen to come up with policy initiatives and planning, while the administrative duties of the city were granted to a board hired city manager.

Height requirements were also done away with by the board, and soon high rises were part of the city’s ever-changing landscape. Rules and requirements were introduced regarding them, and the first high rise towers were opened in the 1960s, with every office and room claimed by a tenant.

In the following decades, Clayton has continued to prosper and expand, and despite its business and metropolitan nature, it has maintained its residential community. 81% of the real estate in Clayton is either a public park or residential in nature. And the farmhouse built by Martin Hanley still stands after 129 years. If you are looking for the top real estate agent in Clayton, call the Wallner Team.

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Top Real Estate Agents in Kirkwood

As a western suburb of St. Louis located in St. Louis County, Missouri, Kirkwood had a population of 27,540 at the 2010 census. If you are looking for property in Kirkwood, you will need a good realtor. Some of the top real estate agents in Kirkwood will not only show you some great homes to choose from, but they will also be able to tell you everything there is to know about Kirkwood. Here is some extra information:

First of all, the city was established in 1853 and is named for James P. Kirkwood. Mr. Kirkwood was an engineer, and he is most known for building that segment of the Pacific Railroad that goes through the town. Kirkwood was a planned suburb and the first to be located on the western portion of the Mississippi River.

The foundation of the town was when Hiram W. Leffingwell and Richard S. Elliott procured some land-based 14 miles from downtown St. Louis in 1850. Meanwhile, this was the same time that James Kirkwood was trying to complete his railroad project. The railroad reached the community three years later, and that’s when Leffingwell and Elliott sold lots to Kirkwood’s association. This was in addition to other Leffingwell developments such as Grand Avenue and Forest Park.

The original town design allowed for families to be able to purchase a block estate of five acres. The early settlers were wary of too much industrial development, so they put in some deed restrictions to prevent this.

The train station was built in a Richardsonian Romanesque style in 1893. It has since made the list of the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and has become a unique symbol of the town. Interestingly enough, this train station is also the only stop for Amtrak within the St. Louis suburbs. There are four other buildings in this locale that have made this prestigious list; the most well-known of these would be the Frank Lloyd Wright house.

In 1895, they built the Meramec Highlands resort. It was situated high up on the bluffs overlooking the Meramec River. Besides this resort, some of Kirkwood’s more recent achievements would include winning the Arbor Day Growth Award four different times(1993, 1997, 2003, and 2004). The city was also recognized in 2007 for the America in Bloom 2007 Community Involvement Criteria Award.

And then we have the National Museum of Transportation. This is a private museum that has 42-acres. This organization was founded in 1944, and it is devoted to restoring, preserving, and displaying many vehicles from over 150 years of our nation’s history. You will not only find things such as cars, boats, and aircraft, but you will also find samples of trains and railroad accessories from many different cross-sections of the United States.

Traditions

Every September, the community of Kirkwood holds the Greentree Festival. This celebration displays arts and crafts and will offer many different foods from countries all over the world. This is a tradition that has been going strong for over 50 years. This festival has been held in Kirkwood Park since 1961, and the centerpiece of it will be a parade and a fair. This festival was created to do something for the trees in the local park; they had been badly afflicted with the effects of a drought.

The area has a couple of sports teams called the Pioneers and the Webster Groves Statesmen. These two will often alternate as hosts of the traditional Turkey Day Game, which is played every Thanksgiving. These high school teams have a rivalry with a lot of history, and some say it is the oldest rivalry in the western part of the Mississippi. The two teams played their 100th-anniversary game in 2007. The winner of this game will always receive the Frisco Bell; the loser has to take home the Little Brown Jug.

Kirkwood founded their Kirkwood Farmers’ Market in 1976. This is a popular local outdoor market, offering organic vegetables and fruits. This market receives contributions from 300 local businesses.

Kirkwood even has a branch of the St. Louis Children’s Museum, called The Magic House. This has been a well-known family attraction since 1979 with an annual count of 500,000 visitors and over 10 million people since their early days. Not only was the original building constructed in 1901, but they have completed several expansions and renovations since then. Travel guide Zagat considers this to be the most popular travel destination in the United States based on its appeal to children.

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Top Real Estate Agent in Clayton

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Top Real Estate agent in Sunset Hills

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Top Real Estate Agent in Kirkwood

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Top Real Estate Agent in Oakville

To be a top real estate agent in Oakville, it is important to know the history. Unlike Sunset Hills or the Crestwood area, Oakville has never incorporated a City Hall. Yet, it is a popular area which travelers lie to visit.

Oakville is different than most cities like that of Sunset Hills and Crestwood, whose origins are surrounded in mystery. As word of mouth recollections start to fade while being handed down from one generation to the next. Several years ago I pondered upon the stories told about the Oakville community and where they had originated from. A well-known philanthropist and music store owner, Bill Nottelmann commented on how written materials should be composed about the area. But, many of Oakville’s residents have moved on and are practically non-existent today. So Nottelmann utilized his personal connections to form the (Oakville-Mehlville Alumni Association, Midwest BankCentre) along with other like-minded individuals. Released in 2002 (Reflections: a History of the Mehlville School District and Its Communities), the prize winner presented by Bill Nottelmann himself.

This was the most recent effort to try and memorialize Oakville’s origins dating back to a quaint community that offered land grants to fur trappers and ferryboat captains. Yet, the only written accounts of Oakville can be found in history books. The one thing these books have is the fact that Johannes Schulte was the Justice of the Peace during the late 1800s. At the turn of 1959, several members of the Oakville Fair Committee decided that September 10th to September 13th should be officially declared Oakville’s 100th Anniversary. The Centennial Celebration was held at Frankie’s Twin Pools, located just past the intersection of Telegraph and Fine Roads along the Meramec River. The celebration featured a 3-day horse show which was sponsored by the Oakville Fair Committee. Members of the committee included Mildred Bowman, Mrs. Henry Doerr, Robert & Edward Cecil, and Art Moore.

The 3-day event also featured ten special events, each of which being English and Western Divisions. Committee members hired Bessie Eek to play the organ. Besides the tie-in with the Oakville Horse Show, there’s little else which can be associated with the Centennial of 1959. According to Esley Hamilton well-known author of (A History of St. Louis County), “I cannot recall any special events that have occurred in 1859”.

A local historian by the name of Robert Lightfoot said he was not able to attend the Cenntenial festivities, instead Lightfoot assisted his family with farm work. Robert explained, “I was working on my family’s farm in the morning and during the evening hours helped them sell produce in Soulard”. Local records indicate the first post office to of been established in 1841 which is according to Robert G. Schultz’s Missouri post offices. It was located at the General Store and Weinheim Brother’s Grocers near Telegraph Road directly across from today’s Oakville Shopping Center.

Historic brochures were accredited by local churches, different historical societies, Chamber of Commerce, newspaper clippings, and the Oakville Centennial Committee indicate date variations from 1860 until the early 1880s as Oakville’s true origins. At that time the closest thing to a government was Oakville’s own Farmer’s Club.

Where members of the community could receive social welfare assistance, which included assistance selling their produce and getting higher prices on products required for local farms. One organization to predate the Oakville Club is that of the Utica, New York, Farmers. It wasn’t until April 5, 1874, which Oakville officially adopted a bylaw and constitution.

Their Meeting Hall was at the intersection of Yaeger and Telegraph Roads, where the Handyman Hardware Store is now located. A popular site for social events, political rallies, wedding parties, and other special occasions. In fact, it’s the place in which Arthur Rhomberg and Evelyn Getner held their wedding reception and the same establishment that caught on fire during February 1944.

The fire began within the roof and 1st-floor rafters. Helping to salvage what they could, started tossing items out of the broken stockroom window. Beginning with wedding gifts, most of which were damaged in the process and others had been burnt to a crisp. But, the happy couple stayed in good spirits despite their heated affair. Rhomberg’s wedding reception is going down in history as part of Oakville’s unwritten origins and the reason for Nottelman’s personal effort of restoring the community’s overdue historic writings. The Wallner Team is a top real estate agent in Oakville. Please contact us today.

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Top Real Estate Agent in Ladue

Ladue, Missouri is a suburb of St. Louis. Now if you are to be considered a top real estate agent in Ladue, then you will always strive to give all of your clients a well-rounded experience. This would include educating any newcomers on the history of this part of the St. Louis metropolitan area.

First of all, Ladue, Missouri was once simply known as “Township 45.” The original residents were from agricultural families and had English, German, French and Irish descent. Some prominent names during this period were the Conways, Dennys, Dwyers, McKnights, McCutcheons, Schraders, Litzsingers, Sppedes, Lays, Warsons, LaDue, Barnes, Watsons, and Prices. (Familiar names, right?)

Naturally, besides being a St. Louis suburb, Ladue was also an agricultural community. The city of St. Louis ejected the county of St. Louis in 1876, and the ranges of 4 and 5 are what caused the township to originally be called “Township 45.” Clayton was the political center of the area, and the original Township 45 agricultural families included the von Schraders, Luedloffs, Muellers, and Seigers as well as all of the families listed above.

Eventually, the automobile replaced the horse and buggy as the primary mode of transportation, and with that, great changes came to the Ladue area. First of all, many native farmers would start selling some of their lands to city workers who were tired of urban life. Moreover, a number of other small areas developed, including the towns of Deer Creek and McKnight. These two municipalities merged with Ladue in 1936. Interestingly enough, one of the main thoroughfares in the area was Ladue road, which led travelers from the main area of St. Louis to wealthy businessman Peter Albert LaDue’s large estate. His property was located at what is now LaDue Road and Warson Road near the St. Louis Country Club. Peter Albert LaDue’s place of birth was Kinderhook, New York in 1821, and he was a descendant of 1600s French immigrant Pierre LaDoux. Peter Albert LaDue arrived in St. Louis in 1848 and worked as an attorney, banker, land speculator, and alderman.

Today, the residents of Ladue want to do everything in their power to remember the heritage and unique early roots that their community has had. They want all visitors to realize that Ladue is still one of the best locations for a unique country or prime real estate location. Several country clubs and fabulous horse riding trails will contribute to making Ladue an experience of a lifetime. Naturally, there is a lot of traditional architecture in this locale, but there is also a tremendous variety of customized homes that were built in the 1950s or earlier.

Perhaps one of the best things about Ladue would be just how educated it is. 75% of residents aged 25 or older hold at least an associate’s degree. 71% of the population holds a bachelor’s degree or higher. Additionally, one of the main reasons this area is so appealing is because it has an award-winning school district. The schools not only cover Ladue, but also parts of Creve Coeur, Olivette, Kirkwood, Richmond Heights, Frontenac, and Crystal Lake.

Ladue is also close to several different commercial districts, including Plaza Frontenac and Clayton Road. The fact that this area is close to the 40/64 corridor will help your commute go as smoothly as possible. Wallner is a top real estate agent in Ladue.

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History of St. Louis Part 2

Government and Religious Practices

At one time, the Louisiana District was ruled by the same governor as the Indiana Territory. It means St. Louis was also governed in the same way. Due to organizational regulations, foreign slave trade dealings were prohibited. This prevented St. Louis from becoming a powerful force within the area.

However, a slew of prominent figures from St. Louis lobbied against the decision and convinced Congress to reconsider its prohibition. In 1805, Congress declared its intentions to completely restructure the Louisiana District. It was to be renamed the Louisiana Territory and given the opportunity to appoint its own governor.

From 1812 to 1821 (when Missouri was officially made a state), St. Louis was the legal and administrative center of the Missouri Territory. During these years, the region’s population grew steadily, and it conducted a variety of important territorial acts. For instance, in 1809, St. Louis’ appointed its first Board of Trustees. These acting trustees were responsible for legislating slavery codes, managing fire services and keeping public streets clean.

They also appointed the first official St. Louis Police Department and opened a jail. As the population grew, it became clear the region would soon meet requirements for incorporation as a township. This was a positive development as townships were free to establish local ordinances without consulting with territorial powers.

The War of 1812, which saw the United States battle British forces, triggered a population boom. After its resolution in 1815, the number of residents in both St. Louis and the wider Missouri Territory increased dramatically. Around this same time, the Old St. Louis County Courthouse was built on land specially donated for the purpose.

The expanding population sparked fervent interest in the possibility of statehood and independent legislature. In 1820, Congress enacted the Missouri Compromise, a bill which officially made Missouri a state but also tried to balance its role as a slave territory with the interests and demands of other non-slave states. St. Louis hosted its inaugural General Assembly and state constitutional convention later in the year.

Two years later, St. Louis was recognized as a city of the United States. William Lane was appointed its very first city mayor and he made health codes, street safety and renovations to the area’s riverfront major priorities. Together with a new Alderman – who would replace the original Board of Trustees – Lane implemented street repairs and even went as far as to rename many parts of the city.

The region’s religious practices would evolve throughout this period as well. In 1802, its Spanish occupiers left and returned rule of Louisiana to the United States. As a result, they also stopped funding churches in the area. This would cause St. Louis to be without a single Catholic priest for almost sixteen years. Catholic priests would visit but none became permanent residents until Louis Dubourg was appointed in 1818.

Dubourg worked quickly and made a significant impact on the new city. He entirely rebuilt its old wooden church, taking it from a simple wooden structure to a brick building. He also recruited additional priests and created a theological training centre. In 1826, a second influential church appeared and, eventually, established its own diocese. It was managed by Joseph Rosati, a well-travelled priest from Naples.

At the same time the Catholic Church was changing shape and growing in influence in St. Louis, local Protestant communities were also developing. In 1818, the very first Protestant Church in the region was erected in the city. It was built by a Baptist missionary named John Peck and it quickly flourished away from the oppressive rule of the Spanish.

Methodists would also be welcomed to the city, but it took the religion a while longer to establish itself. The first Methodist congregation didn’t arrive until 1821 though ministers had been present in an informal capacity for many years. Between 1811 and 1825, scores of new ministries and churches emerged including the Presbyterian Church and the Episcopal Church. Most had existed in some capacity for years but only became official organizations after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.

Christian denominations would remain the most influential religious groups in St. Louis for many decades. It wasn’t until the 1930s that any alternative faith communities began to build a presence. In 1837, the first Jewish church was established and called the United Hebrew Congregation. It was followed by an increase in the number of Mormons in the area, many of whom had been resident for some time but were only just beginning to organize.

Despite this hotbed of religious activity, St. Louis before the Civil War was a surprisingly secular environment. The most fervently religious and most influential worshippers were still the Catholics and, among those who weren’t, the popular choice was no religion at all.

Economic and Commercial Activities

In the wake of the Louisiana Purchase, the economy in St. Louis was still heavily supplemented and supported by fur trades. The primary fur traders in the region were the Missouri Fur Company owned by Manuel Lisa and the legendary Chouteau Family who famously forged an alliance with the Osage tribe of the Great Plains.

Due to its prime location and access to key resources, St Louis was one of America’s most prominent trading posts. It attracted a slew of wealthy investors and a great number of immigrant families in search of work and business opportunities. Printing and banking were two of the fastest-growing industries. In 1808, Joseph Charles established the region’s first newspaper. The Missouri Gazette was the first print news publication west of the Mississippi.

After the Panic of 1819, the economy in St. Louis suffered alongside those in most other regions of the United States. The first major financial crisis since before the war exposed the fragility of financial markets and created very tough conditions for local businesses. The economy in St. Louis would not recover until 1924.

The arrival of the steamboat, in 1817, was a positive development which brought new jobs and created exciting new industries. Fast-moving rapids to the north made St. Louis an appealing prospect for increasingly large ships and it soon became a hotspot for maritime activity. By the 1930s, the city would be a thriving inland port that welcomed hundreds of trading ships every year.

The steamboats brought more than jobs. They came laden with new products and technologies the likes of which St. Louisans had never seen before. This was a major boost to the economy. Soon, the city was awash with retail stores, commercial banks and wholesale outlets. Brand new ideas were arriving thick and fast and the cleverest understood it was the perfect time to make a fortune.

The fur trade in St. Louis would continue to be a profitable industry well into the 1940s. Although, in other parts of the country, it was already in decline. Despite its myriad controversies and bloody history, it was responsible for some of the greatest early feats of exploration. In 1822, Jedediah Smith joined the William H. Ashley – Andrew Henry Fur Company. It was the start of an iconic career which would see the explorer become the first to trek overland to California. While beaver fur declined in value during the early 1940s, buffalo hides, and other types of fur remained popular.

Infrastructure and Education

One major downside to St. Louis’ rapid (and initially uncontrolled) population growth was a serious outbreak of cholera. In 1849, cholera caused close to 5,000 fatalities in the region. It was a stark wake up call for city officials who ordered a large scale renovation of the city’s sewers and relocated several of its cemeteries to prevent groundwater contamination.

During the same year, a huge fire erupted on a visiting riverboat and, due to the crowded nature of the city’s port, quickly spread to more than twenty other vessels. From there, the fire managed to travel from the water to the centre of the city where it razed a sizeable proportion of the commercial centre. The disaster led to a complete restructuring of the docks. New levees were constructed to move currents towards Missouri, reduce sand bars and make the St. Louis landing a safer place for large riverboats.

Education was a lesser priority for St. Louisans during the 1810s. Although, it doesn’t mean there weren’t opportunities to learn. They were just more readily available to individuals with wealth. Private libraries flourished but the majority of locals could not read. The region’s first schools were similarly limited. They charged substantial fees and most lessons were performed in French. They were a prospect only for the wealthiest families.

The first major changes to this elite system came in 1818. The Catholic Church established Saint Louis Academy, a school without fees that, nevertheless, required students to dedicate themselves to religion and religious study. After applying for a state charter in 1832, it was named the first chartered university institution west of the Mississippi River. It would go on to teach a litany of now iconic thinkers. However, up until the 1840s, it remained a largely seminary institution with a primary focus on religious education.

The city of St. Louis welcomed its second university institution in 1853. It was established by William Eliot, a prominent figure within the education movement and a champion of civic facilities, public school systems, and charitable organizations. Eliot was the grandfather of the famous modernist poet T. S. Eliot. He founded a number of educational organizations including the St. Louis Country Day School and the Mary Institute for Girls.

Slavery, Immigration, and Nationalism

When Missouri was granted statehood, it was given so on the basis the region would continue to operate as a slave-trading territory. Throughout the 1840s, the number of slaves that were resident in St. Louis steadily increased. However, they did not keep pace with the growth of the general population as might have been expected.

The population of St. Louis grew but interest in owning or trading slaves was not expressed by many of the new arrivals. By the 1850s, the resident slave population had stopped increasing and started to decline. According to documentary records, in 1850, around 3,200 black people lived in the city. There were many slaves among them but there were also lots of free deckhands, servants, artisans, musicians and other independent workers.

For those who remained in servitude, conditions varied greatly. Some slaves were permitted to earn a salary and even purchase their freedom for a price. Other slaves were eventually released on goodwill. Those living in the worst conditions often attempted to flee bondage using Underground Railway communities. A small percentage actually filed legal suits to assert their right to freedom in a court of law.

One of the most talked-about legal cases was brought by a man named Dred Scott. Together with his wife, he sued for his freedom in court basing his claim on the fact they’d already spent many years traveling with and working alongside their master in states where slavery was outlawed. Knowing about these things might not help you sell your house in St. Louis, but the history of this city is important nonetheless.

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History of St. Louis Part 1

Are you looking to sell your house in St. Louis? If so, you will have a better chance of attracting good potential buyers if they are more educated on the history of this unique city. The unique history of St. Louis begins with this area being settled by the Native American mound-building people. They were a part of the Mississippian tribal group and dwelled there from 800 A.D. to 1400 A.D. and further. They also were accompanied by other tribal groups that would migrate off and on. French explorers starting arriving in the early beginning in the late 1500s and early 1600s. Spain took over from France after the French and Indian War in 1763 and a trading company was established in 1764. Pierre Laclede and Auguste Choteau were the first individuals to start the settlement of St. Louis in 1764. During this time, many French settlers were leaving nearby Illinois because they bristled against the British control of the eastern Mississippi area. The city’s population continued to grow because it was a popular Mississippi River trading post; it also played a minor role in the American Revolutionary War and became a United States territory after the Louisiana territory was purchased in 1803.

There is no question that St. Louis has a convenient and central location. It is situated near the Ohio River on the eastern front, the Mississippi River on the southern and northern plains, and other areas. This made this town a great area for traders and increased their economy significantly, leading to a lot of busy interregional trade. The 1840s were a busy time for St. Louis as it became a destination for immigration by many Irish and German individuals. Unfortunately, individuals that had already been born in the Americas reacted with some trepidation to the newcomers and nativist sentiments were adopted. This also coincided with the fact that Missouri was a slave state, but St. Louis centrally located in such a manner that many slaves would file freedom suits. Slaves would often gain freedom from these suits in these antebellum decades. However, the 1850s rolled around and the interpretations had changed. Dred Scott became the symbol of this new mindset, and this new court did not rule in his favor. This same court case ruled that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional, which increased tensions and eventually led to the outbreak of the Civil War.

Upon the conclusion of World War II, many federal highway subsidies were established, and these encouraged residents to migrate outward in an effort to gain newer housing options. St. Louis suffered a reduced middle-class population as a result of this suburban trend. Thus, the city decided to create some new attractions. They started this trend with the Gateway Arch, which eventually became a symbol of the civil rights movement as the first lawsuits under the 1964 Civil Rights Act were against the unions of St. Louis. Even though the city made an effort to reduce substandard housing by developing new projects such as Pruitt-Igoe, these were widely considered to be unsuccessful. Construction, gentrification, city beautification and crime reduction continue to improve in the city, but St. Louis does struggle somewhat with their crime perception. The city saw some population growth during the mid-2000s but there was a decline in population by the 2010 U.S. Census.

St. Louis is home to the middle Mississippi Valley, which was constructed in the 10th century by the Mississippian people. They built a couple of dozen platforms and mounds on what would become modern-day St. Louis. The focal point of their infrastructure was the colossal Cahokia Mounds complex, which rested on the eastern part of the Mississippi River. The Mississippian culture came to a mysterious end in the 14th century, and their artifacts remained undisturbed for a number of years. They were eventually replaced by Siouan-speaking native groups such as the Osage and the Missouria, who originally came from the eastern Ohio Valley to this Mississippi Valley area.

Extensive exploration in the Missouri and Mississippi river region would begin in the late 1600s by European explorers. The most notable of these would have to be the group made up of Explorer Louis Joliet and Jesuit priest Jacques Marquette, who traveled in a southern direction on the Mississippi River on June 1673. They passed where St. Louis would become popular a few centuries later and they ultimately turned back after they came to the mouth of the Arkansas River. In 1682, French explorer La Salle passed by the area as well. His expedition came from the Illinois River and traveled through the Mississippi River, concluding in the Gulf of Mexico. LaSalle would ultimately claim the entire area for France, and proceeded the name the Mississippi River basin “La Louisiane” after Louis XIV. He also named the region between the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers as the Illinois Country. The French built several settlements between Cahokia and Kaskaskia in Illinois. Additionally, the French trading companies constructed towns throughout the landscape from the decades of the 1720s and 1730s. This included unique locations such as Fort de Chartres and St. Genevieve, Missouri. Incidentally, St. Genevieve is now known by the historians of today as the very first European town in the state of Missouri that was also west of the Mississippi River. Unfortunately, from 1756 to 1760 there wasn’t much settlement building occurring because the French and Indian War (the Seven Years War in North America) kept everyone too busy. Moreover, the economy was fairly weak because of the fighting and would remain that way until Britain won this war in 1763.

Of course, everybody was probably breathing a collective sigh of relief after the war concluded in 1763, but new changes were afoot as well. The first major change would come with the arrival of a new French official in New Orleans. Jean-Jacques Blais d’Abbadie became the new governor of Louisiana in June of that year, and with the new leader of Louisiana came several moves to grant some trade monopolies to get the economy of the middle Mississippi Valley going. Many individuals took advantage of this monopoly, including Pierre Laclede and his stepson Auguste Chouteau. In August 1763 they worked together to build a fur trading post right where Missouri and the Mississippi Rivers joined. A couple of months later, St. Louis was established on February 15, 1764, by these same two gentlemen. Chouteau and a group of 30 individuals were the first settlers, and Laclede drew up the first city planning structures, including a market and commons area and an area for street design to take place.

From 1764 onward, French settlers came pouring into the St. Louis area because they were afraid that the British were going to control their original settlements too much due to the Treaty of Paris. Not soon after, a local French lieutenant came to the area in 1765 and he began to award land grants. The peace negotiations not only allowed Spain to gain control of Louisiana in 1762 due to a secret agreement called The Treaty of Fontainebleau but eventually, there was a Spanish influx into St. Louis for the greater part of that decade. The Spanish honored all of the French land grants, and they also provided security for the area.

St. Louis’s first Catholic church, constructed in 1770

The profession of most of the incoming settlers was farming. They came by the tens of hundreds, and by the 1790s there was a surrounding area of almost 6,000 acres around St. Louis that was continually under cultivation. Of course, many of the permanent residents had no interest in farming simply because they realized that fur trading was much more lucrative. By and large, most of the residents and settlers of this area were Roman Catholic, even though they weren’t necessarily noted for being particularly devout. It wasn’t until the mid-1770s that the first Catholic church was constructed, and the first resident priest representing St. Louis was acquired in 1776. After the first priest arrived, Catholicism became much more common within the area.

Interestingly enough, some of these French settlers were somewhat wealthy. They generally would bring black and Native American slaves with them to St. Louis. The majority of these slaves were being used as domestic help, although also worked in the agricultural fields as well. Even though the Spanish had prohibited Native American slavery in Louisiana in 1769, the French Creoles still continued the practice in St. Louis. Since the Spanish were now running things in St. Louis, they allowed a compromise: they decreed that the Native American slave trade should come to a stop, but current slaves could be retained by their owners, and this also included the children of any slaves as well. In 1772, a census was taken in the village of St. Louis. At that time, the population of the town was 637; the white population numbered 444, and the black population was listed at 193. However, this didn’t include any Indian slaves since they were technically illegal. St. Louis grew fairly slowly during the 1770s and 1780s and the Spanish leadership came and went at regular intervals.

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