History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men, Part 9

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1358


USA > Missouri > St Louis County > St Louis City > History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men > Part 9


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more in harmony with the tastes and wants of the older in- habitants.


" The increase of the colored population from about 5000, which it was previous to the war, to upwards of 22,000 went on without much disturbance in regard to the economical fea- tures of our population as a whole. The growth of the city has been so wonderful during the last ten years that this great influx of colored people, which otherwise might have been a source of annoyance, remained almost entirely unobserved. It is probable that if the statistics had not authoritatively given the number of negroes in St. Louis at 22,045, very few of our citizens would have believed that more than about one-half of that number were living among us. The cosmopolitan char- acter of St. Louis is evidently a source of much good to the country. It shows in a microcosmos the manner in which peo- ple, composed of every nationality, may profit from each other's peculiarities, bear their idiosyncrasies, and bring them down to a common level upon which all may safely stand and mutually support themselves. People learn to respect the qualities and honest habits of others, and to emulate each other in energy and in their desire to promote the welfare of the whole. The natives learn how to embellish their family life by the introduction of fine arts, and the foreigners how to give up personal and na- tional whims for the public good and mutual good understand- ing."


The census of 1880 yielded the figures given below :


MINOR CIVIL DIVISIONS.


1880.


1870.


Bonhomme township, including Kirkwood village ..


7,043


6,162


Kirkwood village.


1,280


... ..


Carondelet township 1


5,691


5,387


Central township 1


7,485


8,923


Maramec township.


3,746


3,436


St. Ferdinand township, including the fol-


lowing villages :


7,923


7,214


Bridgeton village ..


197


St. Ferdinand village.


817


St. Louis City


350,518


310,864


Ward 1


17,434


.... ....


2


13,997


..........


3


14,494


.....


4


24,502


........


5


19,445


.... ...


6


9,949


....


7


13,143


...


....


......


10


26,904


.....


11


5,584


... .......


12


28,536


..........


66


13


8,773


.....


...


14


20,333


...


66


15


13,562


..


16


11,699


..


17


17,227


18


24,673


19


7,229


20


12,246


21


22


66


23


5,737


.....


...


66


25


1,015


...


26


2,594


27


4,824


... ...


28


9,412


..........


In 1876 formed as a separate municipality and increased by parts of Carondelet and Central and all of St. Louis townships, St. Louis Co.


1 In 1876 part to St. Louis City.


.....


...... ...


S.


6,657


9


10,812


66


66


4,187


3,294


....


2


12,256


SAINT LOUIS AS A CENTRE OF TRADE.


1023


COUNTY.


Total population.


31,888


Native.


Foreign.


State Born in.


White, Col'd.


Country Born in.


Alabama .........


451


440


Africa


16


Arkansas ...


447


238


Asia, N. S.


4


Arizona ..


4


1


Atlantic Island.


5


California.


210


10


Australia


37 755


Connecticut ..


639


6


Baden


3,230 a


Dakota ...


12


4


Bavaria


2,848 a


Delaware ....


129


1


Bohemia


2,456


Males


179,520


Females


170,998


Native ..


245,505


Foreign born.


105,013


Idaho ...


5


......


Central America ..


-I


Illinois


13,487


448


Canada.


1,935 b


Indiana ...


2,793


76


China


71


Indian Territory


14


9


Cuba


33


Iowa


1,638


37


Denmark


Kansas ..


478


29


England.


Kentucky ..


4,306


1,686


Europe, N. S


Louisiana ..


1,884


1,015


France.


2,138


Native.


Foreign.


State Born in.


White. Col'd.


Country Born in.


Alabama. .........


37


38


Asia, N. S.


2


Arkansas ...... ...


30


13


Australia


2


Arizona ...


1


......


Austria, N. S.


19


California ...


12


.....


Baden.


321 a


Colorado ..


2


......


Bavaria


236 a


Connecticut


50


......


Bohemia


18


Dakota


6


......


Delaware ..


13


1


Dist. Columbia ..


15


1


Belgium


27


New Jersey.


1,046


8


Florida .. ...


13


5


Canada


111 b


New Mexico .....


25


3


Mecklenburg.


Georgia ... .....


19


20


Cuba,


1


New York ...


8,412


41


Illinois ..


548


8


Denmark


63


North Carolina .. 282


Ohio ...


7,152


279


New Brunswick


39 b .


Indian Territory


3


1


Europe, N. S


46 278


Oregon .....


7


......


Iowa ...


78


....


Kansas


27


3


Hamburg.


4 0


Rhode Island ...


205


3


Kentucky


348


257


Hanover.


393 a


South Carolina .. 182


Tennessee ......


2,008


1,607


Pacific Islands.


18


Maine .


33


......


Holland.


49


Texas.


445


105


Portugal ..


11


Massachusetts ..


89


India


.3


Vermont ...


476


5


Mississippi.


47


108


Italy.


9


Virginia ..


2,305


1,574


Poland


389


Minnesota


16


2


Luxemburg.


18


West Virginia ...


160


34


Sandwich Islands.


6


Missouri ..


18,110


2885


11 a


Wisconsin ....... ....


862


18


Saxony ..


Scotland ..


1,309 c


New Hampshire


13


......


48


2


Nova Scotia


1b


4


......


241


3


Oldenburg ..


11 a


North Carolina ..


24


32


Prussia ..


1604 a


Ohio ...... ...


313


5


Poland.


6


Pennsylvania ...


325


6


Russia ...


2


Rhode Island ....


8


1


Saxony ..


107 a


South Carolina ..


13


22


Scotland ..


59 c


Tennessee .........


Texas ...


14


4


Switzerland.


181


Vermont ....


38


2


Wales.


9 c


Virginia ..


289


260


Weimar


3 a


West Virginia ..


11


2


West Indies


1


Wisconsin ..


38


2


Würtemberg


95 a 1


Wyoming.


2


At sea, foreign.


1305 a


Ireland


992 c


When added, items marked @ make 4382, which is the num- ber born in German Empire.


Those marked b make 116, the number born in British America.


Those marked c make 1325, the number born in Great Britain and Ireland.


Native white ..


21,423


Native colorcd. 3,876


Foreign ..


6,589


Total population


31,888


NATIVITY -- City.


Males.


16,988


Females.


14,900


Native.


25,299


Foreign born


6,589


White ..


28,008


Colored ..


3,880


Colorado ..


65


1


Austria, N. S.


British America, N. S.


7 b


Dist. Columbia .. Florida.


64


18


Brunswick.


Georgia ....


364


250


Belgium .... ...


White ..


328,191


Colored


22,256


Chinese.


56


Indians.


15


NATIVITY-County.


Maine ....


412


5


Maryland.


1,461


234


Great Britain, N. S Grecce.


11 c 8


Massachusetts ...


1,780


25


Hamburg


170 a 3,928 a


Michigan ...


549


21


Hessen


1,958 @ 588


Missouri ..


161,188 12,265


Hungary


173


Montana ..


13


3


India.


11


Nebraska .. ...


103


8


Italy.


Nevada ....


8


......


Lubeck


879 3 a 50


Indiana.


167


4


England


265 c


Pennsylvania ...


5,662


147


Nova Scotia.


83 b 109


Louisiana.


84


35


Hessen.


212 a


Maryland


103


43


Hungary


8


Utah ........ ...


44


......


Prince Edward's Isl ... Prussia ..


13,612 a


Michigan


32


......


Lubeck


1 a


Washington Ter.


1


......


Russia ..


136


Nebraska.


7


......


1


......


Nassan.


Wyoming .. ...


9


......


At sea, U. S.


1


......


South America.


31


Spain.


58


Sweden


551


Switzerland


2,385 7


Wales ..


241 c


Weimar.


7 a


West Indies


71


Würtemberg


1,113 a


151


111


Sweden ..


28


Germany, N. S


26,643 a


Ireland


28,536 c


When added, items marked a make 54,901, which is the num- ber born in German Empire.


Those marked 6 make 2091, the number born in British America.


Those marked c make 36,309, the number born in Great Britain and Ireland.


Native whito 223,305


Native colored. 22,200


Foreign ...... ...


105,013


Total population.


350,518


...


British America, N. S. Brunswick


21 a


New Hampshire


335


......


Luxemburg.


Malta


6


Mexico ........


185


Nassau ...


Newfoundland


12 b


Norway.


171


Oldenburg


114 a


New Jersey ......


New Mexico ......


Norway


2


New York ..... ...


Turkey.


909 a


Nevada ...


New Brunswick


2 58 a 3 b


.. 688


1,140


Hanover


Minnesota. 203


5


Holland


300 6,212 c 72


Mississippi.


291


45


124 a 217


Total population


350,518


CITY.


......


Germany, N. S.


At sea, foreign.


68


Increase in the Value of Real Estate .- The history of the rapid increase of values of real estate in St. Louis is worth writing, for two reasons. In the first place, it is almost as full of wonders as the tale of


15 b


Mecklenburg ... Mexico.


1 6


93 a 46 149 a


France


1024


HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.


the building of Aladdin's palace, in respect to the sudden and almost miraculously rapid advances in values. In the second place, it helps to prove the point we have been contending for throughout this . entire chapter,-that the people of St. Louis have from the beginning almost been conscious of the city's great destinies. Mrs. Hunt, the daughter of Judge J. B. C. Lucas, was fond of telling how her father used to point to a piece of real estate at Pittsburgh which he could have bought for a song, and which sold for over a million. The incident simply illus- trates that confident belief entertained by Judge Lucas in the future of St. Louis which kept him a poor man all his life, and reduced him, while the owner of millions in land, to an income of less than two thousand dollars a year even at the day of his death. Henry W. Williams, who knows as much, probably, about real estate as any single person in St. Louis, prepared a very curious paper in 1860 for Mr. Edwards' " Great West" about "the advance of real estate in St. Louis," an article from which we borrow largely. Mr. Williams says,-


" The rise of real estate in St. Louis has been so fabulous that it has become a theme of wonder and interest. We could not make this history complete did we not give some account of the progressions, and to make the relation more varied, more extensive, more authentic and interesting, we have solicited the aid of those gentlemen that are known to the com- munity as most conversant with all of its features, and, without comment or alteration, we give to our readers the communications which have been addressed to us relative to our inquiries."


And here is one of his examples,-


"ST. LOUIS, March 24, 1860.


" DEAR SIR,-In compliance with your request, I have tried to bring to mind as far as I could the value of real estate in this city during the past forty-two years. I have not been a specu- lator in lands, but have bought for my own use. In the year 1822 I purchased a lot on Third Street, between Plum and Cedar Streets, 75 feet front by 150 in depth, for the sum of $225 thelot. In the year 1846 I sold the same lot for $3000, and it is now held at a bid of $17,000. In 1834 I bought a lot on Main Street, between Spruce and Myrtle Streets, 40 feet front, run- ning to the river-bank, for $350, and in 1852 I sold it, with a two-story house on it, for $10,000. The same property is now worth $35,000. In 1845 I bought a lot on Second Street, bc- tween Lombard and Hazel Streets, 150 feet front, running to the river, for $800, and in 1855 I sold one-third of it for $42,- 000, and held the balance at $100,000. In 1849 I bought a house and lot on Walnut Street, between Sixth and Seventh Streets, for $6000. In 1856 I was offered $15,000 for it. I have known similar sales.


"Yours truly, W. RISLEY."


"ST. LOUIS GAS-LIGHT COMPANY,


"ST. LOUIS, Feb. 9, 1860.


"DEAR SIR,-At your request I refresh my memory to give you, as far as I can in my opinion, the value of property in St. Louis for some twenty-five to thirty-five years back. The first sale which I can recollect was made by grandmother Dubruil, of a lot on the corner of Second and Pine Streets, 70 feet front by 150 deep, to M. Papin, for $700. This was, I think, in 1822 or 1823. My mother bought, in 1822 or 1823, a lot 70 feet front by 150 in depth, corner of Second and Olive Streets, southwest corner, with good stone house, log kitchen, barn, and good fences, all for $1500. The above are now worth from $1500 to $2000 per foot.


" In 1826 my grandmother's property on Second Street, block 61, I believe between Chestnut and Pine Streets, was sold by the administrator, 50 feet, corner Second and Chestnut, by 150, for $10 per foot. The remainder, about 18 feet, with a first- rate stone house and kitchen, was bought in by my mother for benefit of estate for $3000, and sold by her to Mr. Gay in 1830 or 1831 for the same price, so that property had not risen in that locality from 1826 to 1831. Property even in the business parts of the city had but a nominal value till about 1832 to 1833. It may have commenced rising a little in 1831, but so slightly that it was not noticeable, and did not really seem to rise till 1835. From this period it went up in the business parts of the town pretty rapidly till 1838 or 1839, the commencement of bank disasters. From that period to 1842-43, though there may have been no fall, there was no demand, and, to my knowl- edge, no sales.


"In 1836 or 1837 I heard Mr. Lucas offer land about Lucas Place for two hundred dollars an acre. He sold lots to Benoist, Bogy, and others on Eighth Street, between Pine and Locust Streets, for ten dollars per foot.


" After the crash of the banks, from 1837 to 1841, property had but a nominal value; it commenced rising about 1842 or 1843, and went up gradually till 1845, from which time it im- proved more rapidly till the great fire in 1849. From the latter date it rose very fast to the present time, and still continues rising, notwithstanding the cry of croakers to the contrary, and, in my humble judgment, will continue onward till the great valley of the Mississippi is filled up and densely popu- lated. Country property rose but little until the building of plank and macadamized roads, but went up magically after the commencement of our railroads.


"To resume, in my opinion there was but an imperceptible,. if any, rise in property in the city till 1834 or 1835, when it continued to rise slowly till the great crash in 1838 or 1839. It went up again about 1842 or 1843, slowly till 1849, and from that period to date very rapidly.


" Hoping the above may add a little light to your valuable researches, I remain, dear sir, yours truly and respectfully,


" LOUIS A. LABAUME."


" ST. LOUIS, March 9, 1860.


" DEAR SIR,-I will try to comply with your request in rela- tion to the relative value of property in St. Louis during the last few years.


" I will give you the facts of a few prominent points, by which you will be able to judge of intermediate points.


" Early in 1840 property on the corner of Fifth and Market Streets sold for $100 per foot; the same will now readily sell for $1000 per foot.


"In 1840 I bought lots on Olive Street, between Seventh and Eighth Streets, at $40 per foot, which would now sell for $350 per foot. About this time I could have bought of Judge J. B. C. Lucas property on Olive Street, between Eleventh and


Here follows another,-


1025


SAINT LOUIS AS A CENTRE OF TRADE.


Twelfth Streets, for $10 per foot, which is now worth $300 per foot. And on the same street, between Fifteenth and Sixteenth Streets, $5 per foot is now worth $200 per foot.


"In 1842-43 property sold in Christy's addition, west of the St. Louis University, between Twelfth and Sixteenth Streets and Christy Avenue, at from $4 to $10 per foot. The same would sell to-day for from $125 to $200 per foot.


" In 1843-44, on Franklin Avenue, and south of it, in Mills' addition, property sold about Twenty-third Street at from $3 to $5 per foot is now worth from $50 to $75 per foot.


" In the neighborhood of the market on Seventh Street prop- erty could have beeu bought in 1844 at from $10 to $20 per foot. The same will now sell for from $250 to $300 por foot. Looking southwardly, property sold about this time at a very low figure, but has rapidly risen to figures quite as high as in any other direction.


"From 1840 to 1850 the tendency was north. About 1850 a very rapid advance took place to the south and southwest. From about 1854 to 1860 a great rush took place to the northwest, in the direction of fair grounds.


" North St. Louis, about Bremen, toward 1850 began to make rapid strides.


"In 1849 Lowell was first offered. It had been bought only one year before for about $200 per acre. In May, 1849, it sold for from $5 to $10 per foot on Bellefontaine road. It is now selling at from $20 to $30 per foot, or about $4000 to $5000 per acre.


" Thus if you take a stand-point about the court-house you will find the progress resulting about the same, though some- thing in favor of the northward. Westwardly you will find quite an equal advance.


" In Stoddard's addition, which is only about ten years old, property sold at from $5 to $20 per foot. It will now sell at from $50 to $125 per foot.


" As you will observe, the wave of progress has fluctuated in every direction, first in one and then in anotber, but finally it gains an equilibrium, as things have become established.


" Thus you will sce that those who invest money in St. Louis have only to wait a little and a short time brings about vast results. And the only way to judge of the future is to look at the past; according to this rule, the destiny of St. Louis is bound to be the great central city of the United States.


" Truly yours, "W. HALL."


" Many other instances might be eited," Mr. Wil- liams adds, " showing an inereasc in the value of the real estate of the city of from thirty to fifty per eent. per annum ; but I have already wearied your patience, and elose, regretting that the pressure of business has prevented my giving you a more connected and coherent statement of my recollections."


" L. Labaume, Real Estate Agent. To the Public : The sub- scriber has laid off in town lots part of the plantation on which he resides, situated on the banks of the Mississippi, about a mile north of St. Louis; each square is three hundred and sixty feet in front by three hundred feet back, being sub-divided into six lots, each of one hundred and twenty in front by one hun- dred and fifty in back. The streets running parallel with the Mississippi are sixty feet wide, and the cross streets forty-five. One square is reserved for public use, and another for schools, etc. He will dispose of the rest on the most reasonable terms for cash and property, and will give some eredit on giving good security. The beauty and conveniences of the place is inferior to none in the country. Those inclined to purchase will please apply to L. LABAUME."


This is cleverly done, and proves that Mr. Labaume was an apt pupil in the methods for disposing of real estate at good figures. His heirs, however, will searcely forgive him for selling when he did. A corner lot of that estate will now sell for three times as much as Mr. Labaume was offered for the entire property.


Auguste Chouteau, unlike Judge Lucas, was always ready to sell his lots in St. Louis at an advanee, and when he saw the chance to buy others. He liked to turn over property frequently, " to realize on it" now and then, as the phrase goes, showing that he was a person of less faith than John B. C. Lueas, but per- haps a more useful man to have about a growing and ambitious town; for, mueh as sueh plaees need buy- ers, they need sellers still more, people who are willing to let their real property ehange hands at reasonable eurrent figurcs, and without nursing it for their grand- children. Choutcau built, traded, developed indus- tries, turned his money over and over again, and was not afraid of taxes. For years he was the largest tax- payer in St. Louis. Lucas, on the contrary, was always on the lookout for cheap lots, bought to hold, and did not improve. Cheap lots could be got without much trouble. The Missouri Gazette, of Oct. 9, 1819, says,-


" At the March sale of public lands in this district, one hun- dred and seven thousand acres were disposed of at the average price of two dollars and ninety-one cents per acre."


At this time the values of land everywhere in Mis- souri, and not excepting St. Louis, were greatly unset- tled by frauds and fraudulent elaiins and the long and eostly proeesses of litigation. The liberal land grants under the Spanish régime in its last year had opened the way to this, and the trouble was aggravated by speeulators who were seeking to locate New Madrid lots (land granted by the United States in cases where property was injured by the earthquakes of 1811-13) even upon the very boundaries of St. Louis. The


The history of real estate movements and opera- tions, in the early periods of the eity cspecially, has been given pretty fully in preecding chapters, and there is no occasion to do more than supplement these faets in the present chapter with illustrative eases. The system of bringing land into market under advan. tageous and attractive bids, matured by Chouteau and Lueas, was speedily copied by their enterprising rivals i landshark of that day, rapacious monster, stopped at in business. The following is from an advertisement nothing to insure his elaim. Theft, perjury, forgery, murder, all the erimes in the statute-book were eom- of Louis Labaume's in 1812, 15th of June :


1026


HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.


mitted to get property for nothing, and to dispossess rightful owners of their estates and improvements. The simple French habitans, the land commissioners, and the courts were no match for these confederated thieves, with their wholesale forgeries and their gangs of hirclings ready to swear to anything. Bryan and Rose, in their interesting " Pioneer Families of Mis- souri," have preserved the affidavit of one of these suborned perjurers, given at Kaskaskia in August, 1807 :


" I, Simon Toiton, being in my sober senses, having taken no drink, and after mature deliberation, having been apprised that I had given a great number of depositions relating to land titles, as well those derived from donations as from improve- ments ; that by means of these depositions great quantities of land bave been confirmed to different persons in whose favor I have given these depositions, I do consequently declare, as I have already declared to several persons, that I am ignorant of the number I may have given, since I was drunk when I gave tbem, a failing to which I am unfortunately addicted ; and that when I am in that state any one, by complying with my demands, may do what they please with me. If this work had been proposed to me when in my senses [hiatus in manuscript]. I declare that I recollect that on the last day of November, 1806, I was sent for. Before setting out I drank a quart of liquor; and that there might be no want of it, I took it again on my arrival ; before beginning the certificates I took another quart, and this continued until midnight nearly. I recollect at that time to have given twenty-two or twenty-three depositions ; that is to say, I copied them from models, to which I made tbem conform, observing to these persons that what I did could have no validity. They told me not to mind that, that it would be of service to those for whoin I made them, and that I ougbt not to fear anything or make myself uneasy. I declare solemnly that all these last depositions are false, as well as those I had given previously to that time, no matter in whose favor I may have given them; because, to my knowledge, I have never given any except when I was in liquor, and not in my sober senses. I furthermore declare that I am not acquainted with any improvements in this country."


It was by this sort of fraud and villany that land titles were confused in Missouri, and many honest and deserving proprietors swindled out of their property. Here is an instance in point :


"In the year 1785 the government of Spain granted to An- gelica Chauvin a concession of forty by forty arpens of land near the then post of St. Louis, bounded by land granted to one Louis Robert on one side, and the king's domain lengthwise the river Des Peres. The concession was sold by the grantee to Jean F. Perry, a meritorious citizen. 'The government of the United States came, under treaty obligations to the Spanish government, to respect all concessions of land similar to the one to Madame Chauvin, and to fully and faithfully discharge that obligation Congress in 1805 created a board of commissioners charged with that duty. This board of commissioners was com- posed of eminent men of the highest integrity, but they were by law restricted to the consideration only of concessions accom- panicd by specific and authentic plats sbowing the corners and locations of grants presented for confirmation.


" In the year 1811 the board met and confirmed to Jean F. Perry, assignee of Angelica Chauvin, forty by forty arpens of land, the concession being first presented and then the plat, and


ordered the same surveyed according to possession (the pos- session of the grantee). In the year 1812, being one year after the confirmation of the claim, Perry died, leaving four orphan children, all girls ; and in the language of Mr. Griswold, ' here the monster slept !' Yes, slept for twenty years, until the chil- dren grew up to be women and were married. During this lapse of time the cormorants were busy with their New Madrid ' floats,' and before the children grew to be women had succeeded in spreading them all over their land, although that land never belonged to the United States."


This piece of property was so long in dispute that immense values and interests became involved in its settlement ; the interposition of Congress was sought, and finally the claimants were thrown out in favor of the possessors. This instance is not adduced by way of pointing an injustice or a grievance,-we have nothing to do with the merits of any particular claim, -but to show how delays and litigation affected the titles and values of property. No one buys a lawsuit if he can help it, and when he does buy one he always insists upon its cost being counted in the bill. It is beyond a doubt that disputed and defective titles had a very depressing effect on the values of real estate in St. Louis for many years, and interfered materially with the extent and rapidity of transfers.1




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