In 1914 a new charter went into force. Under this charter the mayor holds office for four years and is given large powers of appointment and supervision. The board of aldermen is made up of a president and 28 aldermen, who hold office for four years. The board is a legislative body and has large powers, especially over money bills. The mayor appoints the members of the board of public service ; this is composed of the president of the board and directors of public utilities, of streets and sewers, of public welfare and of public safety. Each is the head of a department. The department of finance is headed by a comptroller; the law department is headed by the city counsellor. The charter provides for two city courts, for a board of standardization, a board of estimate and apportionment, and a city plan commission. One of the reasons for the adoption of a new charter was the desire to safeguard the city against the machinations of politicians and political rings. To effect this, provisions were introduced for the recall of officials, for the initiation of legislation by petitions signed by 5% of the voters, and for the referendum upon ordi nances if called for by 2% of the registered voters.
In 1762 Gilbert Antoine de St. Maxent and Pierre Laclede Liguest, merchants of New Orleans, organized a firm which ob tained from the French governor of Louisiana a licence to trade with the Missouri river Indians. On Feb. 14, 1764, a party of workmen headed by Auguste Chouteau landed at the site selected by Laclede for his trading post and on the following day began work. In addition to Laclede's original party, settlers came from Cahokia ; others who desired to escape from English rule in the Illinois country came, and at the end of the first year 4o families were living at St. Louis. The town was named in honour of Louis XV., whose patron saint was St. Louis, but for many years it was locally known as Laclede's village, and as Paincourt. Within its borders and in the general neighbourhood were several mounds erected by a prehistoric people.
In 1772 the village had a population of 399 whites and 198 slaves. During the administration of St. Ange only one street had a name, the rue Royale, which now bears the prosaic name of Main street. Later the road which ran to the Bonhomme settle
ment (Walnut street) was known as the rue Bonhomme; Market street was the rue de la Tour; Second street, rue de l'Eglise. Modern Third street ran along rising ground in the rear of the village; there the barns were located and it was known as the rue des Granges. West and north-west of the village lay the common fields, a fenced area in which each settler could, by permission, secure a lot for tillage. To the south and south-west the settlers enclosed a large tract for common pasturage and wood supply.
Excepting the Spanish officials, soldiers, and a few traders, the inhabitants were French, and all were Catholics. Families inter married to such an extent that it is said that at the time of the transfer to the United States, two-thirds of the inhabitants were related. The traders carried on an extensive traffic with the Indian tribes along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, and monopolized the trade with the Osage. Several large fortunes were made in furs and many families of St. Louis trace their an cestry back to the French fur traders of Spanish days. The great market was New Orleans; thither the inhabitants shipped their surplus flour and packs of furs. Of the early traders the most prominent were the Chouteaus, Auguste and Pierre, who for many years enjoyed a monopoly of the Osage trade and built up a substantial fortune.
In May 1780 a force of British regulars and Indians descended on the city, but the Spanish soldiery and the settlers beat off the invaders. In 1803 about half of the inhabitants of Upper Louisi ana were Americans, but few became residents of St. Louis. Under Spanish rule the town grew very slowly and at the close of the regime contained only 18o houses, most of which were scattered along two streets which ran parallel with the river.