July 16, 1772

Joseph Charless was born this day in Ireland. Meriwether Lewis (pictured above) brought him to St. Louis where he became the first newspaper publisher in the west.

This post was contributed by Ross Malone. A historian and a retired school teacher, Ross has authored many books about Missouri’s history, weird facts, and folk tales. He has also written children’s historical fiction. Visit his website, and buy his books in the Missouri Life store.