Louisiana Territory

Governor William Clark authorized a territorial lottery. It was to use profits to purchase fire equipment for the territory’s capital city, which was St. Louis.

Birthday of soldier and explorer, Zebulon Pike who was stationed in St. Louis and is the namesake of Pike County.

Father Sebastian Meurin was born on this date. He started the first church in St. Louis and performed Missouri’s first marriage in Ste. Genevieve.

Lewis and Clark visited the oldest permanent settlement in Missouri, Ste. Genevieve.

This is believed by some to be the birthday of a true legend, Daniel Boone. Boone and the people he brought may have done as much as any other people to give Missouri its unique and distinct character.

William Clark wrote of the "great velocity" of their trip as they grew ever more eager to get home. They made 65 miles this day and found themselves near present day Washington and Marthasville. One of the men shouted when he saw a cow and they knew they were back on the edge of settled country.

Hernando DeSoto’s party of exploration entered Missouri at what is now Ste. Genevieve.  They made camp that night near present day Farmington.  

This is the day that "Le Chasseur," the hunter, Louis Blanchette died. He had earlier established a trading post that he called Les Petite Cotes, or Village of Little Hills. Under the Spanish, the name was changed to San Carlos but the Americans call it St. Charles.

Maxent, Laclede and Company of New Orleans was granted the exclusive rights to trade with American Indians in the Mississippi Valley on this day. Hence, Laclede and his stepson came upriver and established a trading post which they named St. Louis.

The Corps of Discovery was having a terrible time in western Missouri near present day Miami. The current of the river was so strong that they were running out of ways to get the boats upstream.