COLONIAL ST LOUIS: BUILDING A CREOLE CAPITAL

COLONIAL ST. LOUIS: BUILDING A CREOLE CAPITAL by Charles E. Peterson 
69 pages

Reviewed by Rae C.

If you are interested in history generally, or the specifics of land distribution and uses, types of buildings and building materials, this is a great book.  Be sure to read the footnotes, a lot of information is in the footnotes.

If you are interested in just the French roots of St. Louis this is a little too much detail, a lot of inventories -types of nails used, lumber specifications- etc.  But I did enjoy it.  The "Creole Capital" is so called because of the layout of the streets and the use of French measurements and city planning, and much is styled on New Orleans.  A lot of tidbits about Chouteau and what sort of house he lived in.  There is mention of slaves, of early trades, of the original common use pastures.

It's only 69 pages, but it is so dense with information that it took me several months to read, and I often had to go back and re-read portions, especially the footnotes.