The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-05-11
INTERESTING BITS OF
ST. LOUIS HISTORY AND
LOUISIANA PURCHASE

| Incidental with the visit of tn
French War Commission to st. Loui
this week, the Post-Dispatch revive
the following bits of interesting his
tory relative to ST. Louis and TIL
Louisiana territory under the Frenci
and Spanish and its purchase by tn,
United States:
Of all the cities on the French Wal
Commissions itenerary, St. Louis
holds especial interest for the distin
guished visitors because the city was
at two different times under The
French flag and also was. named fol
French King.
The city was under the flag Of
France from the time Of it's founding
in 1854, by Pierre 'Liquest Laclede
until it passed under Spanish domin-
alton in 1865, under the terms Of the
secret treaty of 1868, relating to the
louisiana territory. In 1901 tn, city
agan became French territory along
with the whole of Upper Louisiana,
by secret treaty, the existence Of
winch was not known to the people
until 1903, when France ceded the ter
ritory to the United States.
For those two years, l801-1503, al.
though st. Louis was French terri
tory, the flag did not tiy over the city
On the ''Day of the Three Flags"
however, it replaced the Spanish flag
for a brief intervals and was then it.
self replaced by the flag of the Unit
ed States. This historical event is
still fresh in the minds of present
day st, Louisans, as it was one of the
big scenes in the Pageant of st. Louis,
presented in Forest Park three years
ago.
At first this place was known as
Laclede's Village, and later was
named st. Louis, not in honor of
Louis XIV, the reigning monarch who
never achieved saintship, but in hon
or of Louis TX, who reigned over
France from 1926 to 1870. Louis TX
took prominent part in the crusades.
During campaign to Tunis against
the Turks he died of the plague. For
his pure life and religious activity he
was canonized in 1897.
st. Louis Seat of Government.
Within two years after the settle
nent of st. Louis it became in sense
a seat of government. From 1866
o ITO, st. Ange de Bellerive, acting
Governor of Upper Louisiana, had
his official residence at the post of
st. Louis.
The town was under the French
lag by reason of La Sale having in
1852, descended the Mississippi river
rom Canada to its mouth, where he
lnfurled the banner of France, and
mid the acclamations of his 40 COM
took formal possession in the
name of Louis XIV of all the terri
,ory watered by that river from its
source and all the streams flowing in
o it on both sides, calling the new ter
'itory Louisiana.
The secret treaty of 1853 conveyed
o Spain all the territory west of the
Mississippi, including the district of
St. Louis, as an indemnity for the loss
sustained by that country as an ally
Of France during the inter-colonial
war.
The first colony at St. Louis, pre-
'umed to be under the French flag,
but really under that of Spain, con-
sisted of 30 men. The first year clos
I'd with a population of about 40. |
Many French settlers on the east
side of the river, being averse to
British rule, abandoned their homes
md moved to the st. Louis side to
De under the flag of France. At the
lctual closing of the French regime
n ITO there were 115 houses, 100
# wood and Is of stone, and the pop
llation avs 500.
Spain's Bargain with Napoleon.
In 1900 Spain availed herself of an
opportunity to strike bargain with
Napoleon, whereby the whole of Lou
slana territory was retroceded to
france. The arrangement between
'pain and France was kept secret for
time. When it became publicly
.nown it created a sensation in the |
United States. Negotiations were
pened for the acquisition of New Or
cans and some adjacent tracts on the
Napoleon was on the eve
t declaring war against England.
hat country had 81 warships in the
iulf of Mexico. He considered the
7hole territory as already lost. So
e sold the territory to the United
tates. The population of st. Louis
hen was 925.
Major Stoddard, U. S. A., took pos
ession of Upper Louisiana in the
anne of the United States one day in
804. The ceremony was held here.
hat day the flags of three nations
Iaved successfully over st. Louis.
he flag of Spain was lowered and
nat of France was raised. That in
I'm was lowered and the Stars and
tripes fioated from the top of the
ag-pole.