Churches.—One of the finest groups of representative architecture in the city is at Kings Highway and Washington ave nue, where the four corners are occupied by magnificent churches—Temple Israel (Jewish synagogue) ; First Church of Christ, Scientist; St. John's Methodist Episcopal, South; and Second Baptist. The new cathedral is the seat of the Catholic Church in St. Louis. The struc ture cost $3,250,000, the main altars $100,000, and the organ $50,000. The old cathedral occupies the site of the first church built in St. Louis, shortly after the landing of Laclede in 1764. Pope Gregory conferred favors on this old cathedral which no other church in the world has except the Basilicas in Rome. Christ Church Cathedral, the mother church of the Episcopal Diocese of Mis souri, is the first Protestant church founded west of the Mississippi river. The Young Men's Christian Association and Young Women's Christian Associa tion maintain commodious central build ings and branches in various sections of the city.
Finances.—In 1919 the total bonded debt of the city was $13,999,706. The assessed property valuation in 1919 was $765,722,620; tax rate $23.50 per $1,000.
History.—On Feb. 14, 1764, while what is now Missouri was a part of Upper Louisiana, Auguste Chouteau, a youn trader, with about 30 men, arrived at site of the city to establish a permanent post. The spot had been selected the pre vious year by Laclede. France had ceded the whole of Louisiana Territory to Spain in 1762. Spain ceded it back in 1800, and in 1803 France sold it to the United States. In 1896 the city was swept by a destructive tornado that overthrew many buildings, destroyed shipping, and tore out a shore span of the great bridge. Several hundred lives were lost and many rendered homeless. Tower Grove Park and Shaw's Gardens were greatly in jured. In 1904, the Louisiana Purchase Exposition was held at St. Louis. The attendance was 19, as compared with Chi cago 28 (1893), and Paris 50 millions (1900).