proceedings of the meeting. At a meeting of the
committee appointed to take charge of the necessary
preparations, held at the Planters' House, subsequent
to the meeting above mentioned, Col. Thornton Grims-
ley in the chair, and J. M. Field acting as secretary,
it was " Resolved, That a meeting of the committee
be held at the Planters' House the following evening,
to take action on the subjects confided to their
charge." At a meeting of the same committee, held
several days later, definitive action was taken on all
the propositions submitted except the dinner, and
consideration of that subject was postponed. The an-
nouncement was made that Wilson Primm, a descend-
ant of one of the founders of St. Louis, and him-
self a distinguished lawyer, had accepted the appoint-
ment of orator of the day, and it was determined
: that there should be a procession through the prin-
cipal streets to the rotunda of the court-house, where
the oration was to be ' delivered. Col. Thornton
Grimsley was appointed chief marshal, and it was
agreed that there should be a ball in the evening
at the Planters' House.
Considerable opposition to the proposed ball was
developed, and it found expression in a meeting called
" to consider the propriety of striking out that part of
the programme (relating to the dinner and ball) and
adding such other measures as will give all an oppor-
tunity of participating." In pursuance of this call, a
meeting was held at the Planters' House on the 28th
of January, George Knapp presiding, and A. P.
Ladew acting as secretary. Resolutions were adopted
to the effect that the programme as originally agreed
upon, embracing an ovation, a public dinner, and a
ball, was " the most appropriate and fitting for the
occasion." It was also agreed that those present
should use every means in their power to render the
festival worthy of the occasion and the city. This
seems to have finally disposed of the objections raised,
as we hear of no further opposition. In order to pro-
vide against the contingency of unfavorable weather,
it was decided that should the day prove inclement
the place for the delivery of the oration should be
changed from the rotunda of the court-house to the
theatre. The precaution, however, proved unnecessary,
PROMINENT EVENTS.
1827
as the day of the celebration, according to contem-
porary chroniclers, was mild and clear. 1
At eight o'clock, Col. Thornton Grimsley, grand
marshal, accompanied by the aids and assistant mar-
shals, all on horseback, the volunteer artillery com-
pany, Lieut. Holzscheiter commanding ; a portion of
the Phoenix Fire Company, under the direction of
Henry Pilkington and bearing the banner of the com-
pany, on which was a representation of the landing of
Laclede ; the Washington Brass Band, directed by Mr.
Barkley, and a fife and drum corps, under the com-
mand of Drum-Major Roques, assembled on Water
Street, about midway of the block between Market
and Chestnut, on the spot where Laclede landed on
his return from Fort de Chartres in 1764. At the
same hour a national salute of twenty-nine guns was
fired, and was followed by salutes in honor of Laclede,
Thomas Jefferson (two guns), and the cession of
Louisiana to the United States (three guns). These
salutes were responded to by salvos from the boat-
yards in the upper part of the city. After the
national salute the Washington Band played the
"St. Louis Imperial March," composed for the occa-
sion. About nine o'clock the following officers of the
celebration had assembled at the Planters' House :
Committee of Arrangements. Col. T. Grimsley, B. Pratte,
Edward Walsh, Edward Tracy, P. M. Dillon, A. E. Orme, Mar-
tin Thomas, Asa Wilgus, S. Treat, Col. R. Campbell, William
Risley, P. Ferguson, S. Blood, J. J. Purdy, J. F. Darby,
J. Finney, L. A. Lebeaume, Edward Charless, H. F. Christy,
W. Primm, D. B. Hill, Pascal Cerre, George Collier, Henry Von
I'hul, John B. Sarpy, Thomas Andrews, Charles Keeinle, J. M.
Field, A. B. Chambers, L. V. Bogy, D. Tatum, Henry S. Geyer,
John Shade, Edward Bates, James Clemens, Jr., Nathan Ran-
ney, John O'Fallon, Fred. R. Conway, Capt. Gregory Byrne,
C. C. Cady, Gen. J. D. Learned, Dr. William C. Lane, P. G.
Camden, Ferdinand Kennett, J. A. Sire.
Grand Murnhal, Aids, and Assistants. Col. Thornton Grims-
ley, grand marshal; Aids, Col. Charles Keemle, Hon. David
Chambers ; Assistant Marshals, First Ward, B. A. Soulard, Alli-
son Merrill, E. W. Paul, D. B. Hill, John Fulton, Henry C. Lynch,
F. W. Beckwith, Samuel H. Pilkington, John Dunn; Second
Ward, G. G. Presbury, M. L. Cerr6, Henry Almsted, A. Lemp,
Adolphe Paul, AVin. Cozzens, Richard Dowling, C. A. Schnabel,
Fred. Kretchsmar, Dr. John Shore; Third Ward, Thomas
Campbell, Daniel Finch, John Hanson, Thomas Gray, C. L.
Hunt, John J. Anderson, A. Brewster, V. Staley, George A.
Colton; Fourth Ward, Dr. B. B. Brown, H. J. Clayton, David
Tatum, Robert Earth, Nathaniel Coleman, J. B. Gerard, Win.
A. Lynch, Charles Walton, Charles H. Peek, William C. Essex :
Fifth Ward, James M. Allen, H. M. Snyder, J. G. Shands, A.
H. Glasbj', Charles E. Loring, Daniel R. Garrison, J. E. D.
Cozens, Charles P. Pond, George A. Gannett, Wm. 0. Shands;
1 "The morning," says the St. Louis Republican of February
17th, "opened mild, with a hazy and dense atmosphere, not
unlike a morning in Indian summer, and the streets generally
were dry and the walking pleasant. Nature seemed to have
given just such a day as suited the occasion."
Sixth Ward, R. B. Austin, S. V. Farnsworth, W. G. Clark, C.
W. Lightner, N. Aldrieh, Peter Brooks, C. W. Schauruburg, C.
R. Anderson, Gregory Byrne, John R. Hammond.
In addition to the above were the following invited
guests, men who were residents of St. Louis or the
surrounding country at a very early day, some of them
before the transfer of the Territory to the United
States :
Pierre Chouteau, Pierre Choute.au, Jr., Paul L. Chouteau,
Simon Sanguinet, R. Dufrene, Vincent Guion, H. Sappington,
J. Baptiste Hortiz, G. S. Chouteau, J. Baptiste Belcour, John
Perry, Antoine Schmidt, L. S. Martin, Louis Lemonde.
A number of other gentlemen, including the Gov-
ernor, State officers, and judges of the Supreme Court,
were unable, owing to ill health and other causes, to
be present. The various organizations which were to
take part in the procession appeared at the points of
formation at an early hour, and the spectacle, as they
marched through the streets, was very enlivening.
Flags and festoons were suspended from the windows
of many buildings, and the decorations along the route
of the procession were especially handsome and pro-
fuse. Business was almost entirely suspended, and
the streets were thronged with interested spectators.
The assemblage in front of the court-house, where the
oration was delivered, was immense. The formation
of the line commenced at ten o'clock, and the proces-
sion moved half an hour later in the following order :
The Chief Marshal and his Aids.
The Washington Brass Band.
The military as follows :
St. Louis Grays, under command of Capt. West.
N. A. Rangers, under command of Lieut. Barnes.
Fusileers, under command of Capt. AVagener.
Jaegers, under command of Capt. Korponay.
Artillery, under command of Lieut. Holzscheiter.
Dragoons, under command of Lieut. Steitz.
The whole of the military under the immediate command of
Lieut.-Col. Kennett, of the St. Louis Legion.
Following the military came the Apprentices' Li-
brary Association, Joseph F. Schiefer, marshal. This
association carried the banner of the committee of ar-
rangements. In the front of the line it bore the
national flag with a streamer, on which was the name
of the association, and in the rear the banner presented
to the committee of arrangements by the ladies of St.
Louis, through S. Rimmer. This banner was of satin,
with the name " Laclede" embroidered on one side,
and the words " Our City" on the other. Next in
order after the Apprentices came the" committee of
arrangements, two and two, wearing red badges, and
following them the invited guests. In an open car-
riage was seated the aged Pierre Chouteau, president
of the day. Mr. Chouteau was then considerably
over ninety years of age. He was accompanied by
1828
HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.
his sons, Pierre Chouteau, Jr., and Paul Ligueste
Chouteau, and by Gabriel S. Chouteau. Four In-
dians mounted on horses acted as a guard of honor
to Mr. Chouteau. In the next carriage were the
Hon. William C. Carr, Col. J. O'Fallon, and Gen.
William Milburn, the committee of invitation to Mr.
Chouteau. Then followed in another carriage other
invited guests. The next feature of the procession
was a representation of the " General Pike," the first
steamboat that arrived at St. Louis. 1
In the wake of the " General Pike" marched a long
procession of boatmen and boys, after whom followed
a model, drawn on wheels, of the steamer " Laclede,"
then considered to be one of the finest vessels on
the Mississippi River. The " Laclede" was named
for the founder of St. Louis, and was built in that
city. After this model came the mayor and city offi-
cers, two and two, followed by the various companies
of the fire department in uniform and in the order of
their incorporation, which was as follows :
1st. The Central Hose Company, preceded by their
officers, with flags ; next their engine, drawn by four
black horses.
2d. The Union, No. 2, Hose Company, their hose
dressed in blue, corresponding with the uniform of the
men, and their engine, drawn by the company.
3d. The Washington Hose Company, and the en-
gine, drawn by four gray horses, bearing a banner, on
which was the likeness of General Washington ; dress,
yellow.
4th. Tiger Hose Company, which was attached to
the St. Louis Engine Company, in scarlet uniform.
They carried with them a triangle and gong, " with
which they saluted the public as they passed."
5th. The Missouri, preceded by their banner. Fol-
lowing this were a number of Indians in full costume ;
then the hose company, and the engine, drawn by
four gray horses.
1 This vessel, commanded by Capt. Jacob Reed, arrived at St.
Louis in July, 1817. The miniature representation was about
twenty feet long, and its hull was that of a barge. The wheels
were exposed, and she was propelled by a low-pressure engine,
with a single chimney and a large walking-beam. The crew
were supplied with poles, and when the current was too strong
for the vessel's steam-motor they used the poles to assist in pro-
pelling her. The model was mounted on wheels and drawn by
eight horses, and was manned by a crew of steamboat captains.
Capt. Throckmorton paced the deck, telescope in hand, and di-
rected the movements of the little vessel. From the log-book
of the " voyage" it appears that the crew was made up as fol-
lows :
J. Throckmorton, master; George Ransom, mate; Thomas
Nelson, pilot ; Charles La Barge, steersman ; J. C. Burkinbine,
starboard deck hand; Charles Connoyer, larboard deck hand;
John Lee and N. J. Eaton, firemen on the first watch; and
Hugh Campbell and John Shaw, firemen on the second watch.
6th. The Liberty, preceded by their banner. The
carriage was dressed with flowers, and the men wore
handsome uniforms. The engine was drawn by six
dun horses.
7th. The Phoenix, preceded by a banner provided
for the occasion. On the front was represented the
landing of Laclede. He occupied the foreground.
To his left was a surveyor, who had drawn a plot of
the town, and was exhibiting it on the ground. Be-
hind him stood a number of hunters and trappers, and
in the rear was the rocky bluff that once showed itself
along the shore. On the left the disembarkation of
the goods and effects of the pioneers was going on,
and in the rear an interpreter was endeavoring to
make friends with the Indians. In a scroll above was
the name of Laclede, and below the date of his land-
ing. On the reverse of the banner was a phoenix
rising from its ashes, with the name of the company
and the date of its incorporation.
8th. The Franklin, preceded by a banner with the
portrait of Franklin upon it. The hose company and
members made a fine appearance, their yellow fire-hats
and black capes with gilt letters making them very
conspicuous. Their engine was drawn by four bay
horses.
Next in order was the Hunting Club, all the mem-
bers being in full hunters' costume, and provided
with horns, buck-tails, and double-barreled shot-guns.
Capt. Macdouough's horse supported on his head a
large pair of buck's horns. The club was headed by
the president and vice-president, Capt. Cohen and
Green Erskine, respectively. Following the Hunting
Club came the Hibernian Society, preceded by a band
of music, and wearing green sashes, and carrying
their banner, the harp of Erin. To this organization
succeeded a procession of maskers, in carriages and
on horseback, wearing grotesque costumes. Next
came an omnibus drawn by four horses and filled with
citizens. The omnibus was followed by Henry Dolde's
car, heavily laden with bread, and next in order were
the public schools. School No. 3, under D. Arm-
strong, headed the line. It was followed by the
Sixth Ward school, and the rear was brought up by
School No. 1.
In the line was borne a banner prepared for the
occasion, and presented to the schools by the Board
of School Directors. It was decorated with a paint-
ing of Minerva, goddess of wisdom, and appropriate
emblems and inscriptions. After the schools came
the lodges of Masons and Odd-Fellows, both orders
being in full regalia, and bearing a number of hand-
some banners. The Odd-Fellows numbered three
hundred, and were under the command of their chief
PROMINENT EVENTS.
1829
marshal, C. M. Valleau. The city lodges marched in
the order of seniority, as follows : Excelsior, No. 18 ;
Missouri, No. 11; St. Louis, No. 5; Germania, No.
3 ; Wildey, No. 2 ; and Travelers' Rest, No. 1. Next
came the encampment, under the immediate control
of the Most Worthy Grand Chief Patriarch, Gerard
B. Allen. Lastly came the Right Worthy Grand
Lodge. The Most Worthy Grand Master, Isaac M.
Veitch, brought up the rear.
The Odd-Fellows were followed by a deputation
of brewers, the firms of Lemp, McHose & English,
G. Snyder and Winckelmeier being represented. At
the head of the procession was a mammoth cask,
drawn by four gray horses, on which was seated a
representation of the king of Flanders and Brabant,
the reputed inventor of beer, bearing a pitcher of the
foaming beverage. There were also three large casks
surrounded by the implements of brewing. Behind
the brewers marched the coopers. At the head of
their line was an immense cask on a car drawn by
four horses. Seated on the cask was a master-
cooper, and several coopers walked on either side
holding ribbons attached to the cask. After them
marched along line of coopers, bearing implements
of their trade. Next followed a wagon belonging
to D. Colver's brewery, and behind it came the free
school of St. Louis University, numbering seven
hundred pupils, which, in turn, was succeeded by
the students of the university. Following these was
Mr. Wyman's High School, numbering one hun-
dred and seventy-five scholars, and bearing several
handsome banners, one of which had been presented
by the pupils of " Edgewater Seminary." Then
followed the Evangelical German Lutheran School,
and a printing-press in a car, with several boys engaged
in printing and distributing an ode composed for the
occasion on behalf of the Typographical Association
by John P. Shannon. Following the press came a
long line of printers, including the St. Louis Typo-
graphical Association, after whom marched the
Society of Saddle, Harness, and Trunk-Makers, Oscar
F. A. Scruggs, marshal. They were followed by the
St. Cecilia Society in carriages, and by citizens in car-
riages and on horseback.
The procession moved from Fourth, along Market,
into Fifth Street, down Fifth to Carondelet Avenue,
where it wheeled into Second Street ; up Second
Street to Spruce, along Spruce to Fourth, up Fourth
to Washington Avenue, along Washington Avenue
to Fifth, up Fifth to Franklin Avenue, along Frank-
lin Avenue to Sixth, down Sixth to Washington
Avenue, along Washington Avenue to Fifth, down
Fifth to Chestnut, along Chestnut to Fourth, where
116
the line was countermarched. When the head of
the procession, on its way down Fifth Street, reached
the centre of the block between Chestnut and Pine,
the rear was at the hospital, corner of Fourth and
Spruce Streets. After marching as far as practica-
ble, for it was soon evident that the width of the
street did not admit of the whole line making this
O
evolution, the procession was dismissed.
The Washington Band then played the " Marseil-
laise," after which the pupils of School No. 3, who had
occupied a position in front of the speakers' stand,
sang an ode written for the occasion and set to the
tune of " The Old Granite State." The band then
rendered a march specially composed for the celebra-
tion.
A stand had been erected on the sidewalk on the
east side of Fourth Street, fronting the court-house.
An immense assemblage filled the street from Market
to Chestnut Streets, and back to the court-house and
the court-house yard. On the platform were seated
among others the four Indians who constituted Mr'.
Chouteau's body-guard. When the music had ceased,
the grand marshal, Col. Thornton Grimsley, intro-
duced Wilson Primm as the orator of the day.
Mr. Primm began his address with a historical re-
view of French conquest and colonization in the val-
ley of the Mississippi, and then proceeded to describe
the cession of that country's territory in the valley to
Spain, and subsequently to the United States, the
surrender of Fort de Chartres to England, and the
settlement of St. Louis, and narrated at length the
political and economic history of the city.
After the oration the committee of arrangements,
the invited guests, the marshal and his aids and as-
sistants, and a number of citizens assembled at the
Planters' House, where a collation had been prepared.
At the table the following officers presided :
Gen. John Ruland, President.
VICE-PRESIDENTS.
John F. Darby.
H. Von Phul.
F. R. Conway.
Dr. B. G. Farrar.
Edward Bates.
Asa Wilgus.
Dr. Robert Simpson.
Col. John O'Fallon.
Wyllis King.
Col. J. B. Brant.
Col. Charles Keemle, Toast-master.
The sub-committee on the dinner consisted of Col.
F. Kennett, Joseph M. Field, Edward Walsh, Henry
S. Geyer, John F. Darby, Samuel Treat.
Pierre Chouteau, president of the day, was seated
immediately on the right of Gen. Ruland. The
vice-presidents presided at the different tables. Prep-
arations had been made to seat twelve hundred
persons, but owing to the belief that there would be
too great an assemblage for comfort, many were de-
1830
HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.
terred from attending, and there were not more than
four hundred persons present. John F. Darby, first
vice-president, called the meeting to order. After
dinner was over, the first toast, " The Founders of St.
Louis," was read by Col. Charles Keemle, toast-master,
and repeated by D. Armstrong. It was responded to
by L. V. Bogy, on behalf of Mr. Chouteau, and Mr.
Bogy proposed, in the name of Mr. Chouteau, a toast
to the memory of Pierre Ligueste Laclede, the foun-
der of St. Louis. After the toast had been drunk in
silence and standing, Mr. Chouteau rose, and in a few
remarks in the French language bore testimony to
the purity, simplicity, and honesty of the early in-
habitants of St. Louis. The band then played the
" Laclede March," composed for the celebration.
The toast "Missouri" was not responded to,
owing to the absence of Governor Edwards, and Col.
Campbell, the Governor's aid, proposed the sentiment
" The City of St. Louis, one of the many instances
in which we are indebted to the sagacity of Indian
traders for the selection of the site of a commercial
city." G. W. Jones, of Iowa, responded to the toast
" The Union," after which a letter was read from the
Hon. R. W. Wells, regretting his inability to be
present. Another toast to St. Louis was responded
to by William C. Carr and Mayor P. G. Camden.
The following toasts were also drunk : " The Orator
of the Day," responded to by Wilson Primm ; " The
Western Hunter and Trapper," responded to by Hon.
Thomas Allen and Mr. Crockett ; " Our Army, the
Volunteers and Regulars," responded to by Col. Fer-
dinand Kcnnett ; and "The Press," responded toby
A. B. Chambers. After the toast to " Law and Medi-
cine," Mr. Chouteau, the guest of the evening, who
was in feeble health, rose to retire, and was greeted
with three cheers twice repeated. As he withdrew
the band played " Hail to the Chief," and the com-
pany remained standing. Edward Bates replied to
the toast " Law and Medicine," and the remaining
toasts and those who responded were the following :
" Public Education," by the Rev. Dr. Goodrich ;
" Thomas Jefferson," by Mr. Polk ; " Western Boat-
men," by Capt. Eaton ; and " The Mothers of St.
Louis," by John F. Darby. A letter of regret at his
inability to attend, owing to indisposition, was read
from S. Labadie. Col. Thornton Grimsley then an-
nounced that the Laclede banner, made by the ladies
of St. Louis, would be presented to Pierre Chou-
teau, the only person living who had seen Laclede.
Mr. J. S. Robb made a humorous speech, and brief
addresses were made by Col. John O'Fallon, Gen.
Ruland, who gave the health of Grand Marshal
Grimsley, G. R. Taylor, and Mr. Treat, of the Union
newspaper ; Mr. Polk, who proposed a toast to the
memory of Governor William Clark ; Mann Butler,
who toasted the memory of George Rogers Clark ;
Col. Brant, the memory of Gen. Henry Atkinson ;
Gen. Ranney, the memory of Capt. Reed ; Mr. Field,
who proposed the health of " our worthy host," S.
Rimmer ; Nathaniel Paschall, who toasted the mem-
ory of Col. Auguste Chouteau ; Mr. Cady, the health
of Nathaniel Paschall, " one of the pioneers of the
St. Louis press ;" Mr. Curtis, the memory of Joseph
Taylor, the companion of Laclede, and who first
built a mill in St. Louis ; N. E. Janney, who offered
a toast to " Romulus and Laclede ; and J. S. Robb,
who proposed the health of Col. Keemle, the oldest
printer west of the Mississippi. Dr. Linton and J.
M. Holmes also made addresses. The health of
Henry Von Phul, the oldest merchant in St. Louis,
was drunk with enthusiasm. After several more
toasts had been offered the banquet terminated.
Between eight and nine o'clock in the evening the
ball, with which the celebration closed, commenced at
the Planters' House. There was a very large attend-
ance, and the entertainment is described as having
been of a most brilliant and successful character.
The managers of the ball were
Joseph A. Sire, Bernard Pratte, Charles Chouteau, Frederic
L. Billon, Amedee VallS, Michael L. Cerre, Charles Cabann6,
William L. Ewing, Joseph Boujou, Henry Von Phul, S. B.
Churchill, James Clemens, Jr., H. S. Geyer, G. W. Goode, Jef-
ferson R. Clarke, Charles F. Tracy, N. Berthoud, AV. H. Belcher,
D. B. Morehouse, John H. Ferguson, Richard Brewster, Gen.
Milburn, Thomas Andrews, John G. Shelton, David D. Hill,
John Withnell, R. M. Parks, John S. Watson, A. B. Chambers.
The sub-committees were
Sub-Committee of the Committee on Arrangements, having
special charge of the preparations for the ball, George Collier,
John B. Sarpy, Gen. B. Pratte, E. Charless, J. Clemens, Jr., C.
C. Cady, Col. T. Grimsley.
Sub-Committee on Invitations, A. B. Chambers, F. R. Con-
way, J. B. Sarpy, H. Von Phul.
Sub-Committee on Finance, Col. R. Campbell, Capt. S. Blood,
William Risley, Capt. J. A. Sire.
Sub-Committee on Procession and Oration, Col. Lewis V. Bogy,
Asa Wilgus, Col. Charles Keemle, Gen. N. Ranney, Capt. G.
Byrne, David Tatum.
1847. In August, Gen. Phil Kearney arrived in
the city and received his friends at the Planters'
House.
1848. January 21st, a mass-meeting of Germans,
for the organization of a society for the furtherance
of the republican cause in Germany, was held at
the court-house. William Palm was elected chair-
man, and William D'Oench, Charles Huth, John
Kern, L. Braun, Louis Bach, Joseph Pfeiffer, George
A. Krug, Dr. Wiebe, and Charles Muegge, vice-presi-
PROMINENT EVENTS.
1831
dents, and Arthur Olshausen, secretary. At a previous
meeting, held Dec. 27, 1847, an address had been
delivered by Frederick Hecker. Subsequently an
address to the German nation was prepared and for-