CHOUTEAU'S LANDING



One of the oldest neighborhoods in St. Louis, Chouteau's Landing is at the southeast corner of downtown. It lies between 4th Street and the Mississippi River south of Poplar Street. During the 1800s, the area was a busy mix of factories, stores, and houses and was home to St. Mary of Victories, the Catholic church for German-speaking immigrants.

During the 1900s, however, the residents began to move away, leaving mostly factories like the Saxony Mills. The opening of the Municipal Bridge (now the MacArthur Bridge) in 1917 brought a great deal of traffic to the area, along with freight companies like Independent Truck. With the new automobile era came problems, though, as downtown traffic increased and newer, faster roads were needed. After World War II, these new highways cut the neighborhood off from downtown, leaving a blighted area that is still waiting for a chance to be revitalized.