Route 66 - St. Louis, Missouri

Historic St. Louis was founded over 250 years ago. Before the French fur trappers and traders that settled there arrived, it was a centre of Native American Mississippian culture. Evidence of a sophisticated society dating back at least a thousand years before the city was established as a French territory was all around, including earthworks, a complex social structure, and advanced farming techniques.

European exploration of the area first took place in the late 17th century, and the early French settlers grew wealthy from the fur trade, relying on slave labour to provide the workforce. By 1821, Missouri was a state in its own right. St. Louis was the state capital until 1826, when Jefferson City was considered more central.

St. Louis is also well-known for two spectacular landmarks: the Chain of Rocks Bridge, with its strange 30-degree turn halfway across, prompted by the water safety advice of boatmen who frequented that stretch of the Mississippi. Out of general use since 1968, the bridge is now a monument to early 20th-century construction.

Discussions for a structure in St. Louis to commemorate the first settlers and pioneers were mooted as early as 1933, with Eero Saarinens's designs in place for the Gateway Arch by 1947. Plagued by delay, funding issues, and red tape, ground preparation did not begin until 1959, and actual construction did not start until 1963. It's also one of the few major world monuments where no construction workers died during building, despite an actuarial firm's estimate of an unlucky 13 potential deaths.