SAINT LOUIS, a port of entry of Missouri, U. S., the chief city and commercial metropolis of the central Mississippi valley, stands on the right bank of the Mississippi, m. below its confluence with the Missouri, and 174 m. above the mouth of the Ohio. It is regularly built upon the limestone bank of the river, on two terraces, rising 20 and 40 ft. above high water, with wide and well-built streets running parallel to the river, crossed by others at right angles. The principal structures are a city hall, court house, custom house, arsenal, merchants' exchange, mercantile library, city hospital, post-office, marine hospital, university, cathedral, and several of the largest hotels in the world. There are 162 churches and missions, of which 38 are Homan ,Catholic; numerous general hospitals, asylums, and convents; the St. Louis university, under charge of the society of Jesus, with 22 professors; the Washington university, academy of sciences, German institute, normal and high schools, 84 newspapers and periodiDals, of which 10 are daily, and 12 in German, an opera-house, and 5 theaters. Several city
railways have replaced the omnibuseS, and the water supply is pumped from the Missis sippi. Among the manufactories are flour and lumber mills, sugar refineries, lard and linseed-oil factories, provision packing-houses, manufactures of hemp, whisky, tobacco, and vast iron-foundries find machine shops, which in the year 1874 produced goods valued at $240,000,000. Saint Louis bast a vast trade by steam-boats to the whole Mississippi valley, 68,000 tons being owned there, and extensive railway connec tions. Itis also the chief center of the American fur trade, and of a vast traffic in agri cultural produce. There are 26 banks and 31 insurance companies. In 1761, Saint Louis was the depot of the Lonisiania Indian trading company; in 1768, it was cap; tured by a detachment of Spanish troops; in 1SO4 was ceded with the whole country w. of the Mississippi to the United States; the first brick house was erected in 1813; in 1820 its population was 4,590; in 1860, 151,780; in 1870, 310,864.