St. Louis County was one of the original five counties organized in the Missouri Territory in 1812. Until the railroads came in the 1850s, the area remained mostly rural, and as French and English settlers either died out or moved on, they were replaced with German and Irish immigrants.

Today’s boundaries of St. Louis County are the same as they were in 1876, when the city and county were separated into two distinct governmental entities by citizens’ vote. St. Louis was the nation's first home-rule city, but unlike most, it was separated from any county.

Today, more than 1 million people live in St. Louis County’s 91 cities and villages. It is home to Washington, Maryville and Webster universities, Fontbonne and Missouri Baptist colleges, Concordia, Eden, Kenrick-Glennon, and Covenant Theological seminaries, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The county seat is Clayton.

With 24 school districts and 23 fire districts, St. Louis County is widely considered on of the most fragmented counties in the country. However, it’s patriotic and impressive history is the glue that unites all citizens. The county’s famous historic sites include:

• Jefferson Barracks. Named in honor of former President Thomas Jefferson, the barracks is considered the country’s first “Infantry School of Practice.”
• Gen. Daniel Bissell House. Gen. Daniel Bissell was a military commander of the Upper Louisiana Territory. The 1812 house has period family artifacts and furnishings on display.
• Ebsworth Park. The Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park was the architect’s first building in the area, and one of his most complex designs. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Faust County Park. The park is home to the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House, St. Louis Carousel, a historical village, the Saint Louis Symphony Music School and Thornhill, the estate of Frederick Bates, Missouri’s second governor.