St. Louis has been all about growth since it was founded in 1764 as a fur trading settlement by French traders Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau. These days the city is famous for a lot more than fur, with its hot jazz scene, strong major league sports franchises and, of course, Anheuser-Busch, the world's largest brewery.

St. Louis has long been known as the "Gateway City," for its unique and convenient placement that allowed the pioneers of the 19th century to load up on equipment for their journey westward. The Gateway Arch, the nation's tallest man-made monument at 630 feet, honors the city's pioneer history. The Arch, which reaches across the sky in an inspiring arc, is a must-see landmark in St. Louis and is at the center of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park.

The history of St. Louis is mighty tasty. Peanut butter was invented here and residents of the city consume the most barbecue sauce per capita than any other American city. Thanks to the 1904 World's Fair, which was held in St. Louis, the city discovered Dr. Pepper, 7-Up, iced tea and the ice-cream cone.

1904 was also an important year for St. Louis when it became the first city in the United States to host the Olympic Games. The athletic tradition has only grown since, and the city has produced such sports legends as Major League Baseball's 2006 MVP Ryan Howard, track and field star Jackie Joyner-Kersee and tennis great Jimmy Connors. The St. Louis Cardinals have won more World Series championships than any other National League baseball team in history. In fact, The Sporting News claims that St. Louis is "North America's Best Sports City."

Writers such as T.S. Eliot and Maya Angelou were born in St. Louis, and while playwright Tennessee Williams wasn't born there, he moved to the city at age 8 and grew up within its borders. Additionally, actors John Goodman, Kevin Kline and Betty Grable all called the Gateway City home. Musicians Chuck Berry, Tina Turner and Miles Davis all hail from the city, and Sheryl Crowe was a teacher in St. Louis before becoming an international star.

Speaking of education, St. Louis is home to the oldest institution of higher learning west of the Mississippi River, Saint Louis University. Other St. Louis firsts include the Louis Sullivan Wainwright Building as well as the nation's first interstate highway.

These days, St. Louis has everything a major metropolitan area should. It is rich in arts, history, entertainment and business. It is home to 20 Fortune 1,000 companies, and was named in 2007 by Expansion Management Magazine as one of the "50 Hottest Cities in the U.S."

Sources:
(http://www.explorestlouis.com)

(http://www.stlouisattractions.com)

(http://www.stlouis.com)

(http://stlouis.missouri.org/heritage/History69/)