Happy Birthday, St. Louis and the Gateway Arch Riverboats!
In celebration of the city’s 250th, the National Park Service is hosting two free events this Saturday, February 15, that commemorate the rich and vibrant history of the city.
Auguste Chouteau Re-enactment, 11 am at the South Leg of the Arch: Living history portrayers will re-enact when Auguste Chouteau returned to the spot Pierre Laclede marked as the site of a fur trading post west of the Mississippi River. The trading post, located near where the South Leg of the Gateway Arch stands today and what Chouteau and 30 of his men went on to construct, would later become the city of St. Louis. Attendees can interact with Chouteau and his band of men; and demonstrations of 18th century blacksmithing, log hewing techniques, carpentry, and flint and steel fire starting will take place throughout the day.
Guy Foropon Presentation, 12:30 pm at the Old Courthouse: The National Park Service hosts a special presentation by Guy Foropon, whose great-grandmother, Jeanne Marie Laclede, was a descendant of Pierre Laclede’s ancestors. Foropon will present “Bedous, France, a Forgotten Village?” a short discussion on the birthplace of Pierre Laclede. Foropon will discuss how Bedous has hardly changed since Laclede was alive. In fact, the castle where Laclede was born and most of the village’s homes were built before 1729 and are still standing today!
And don’t forget to check out stl250’s website for all of this weekend’s fun parties and celebrations!
2014 is also the year of the riverboats! This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Gateway Arch Riverboats, the Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher, operating on the St. Louis Riverfront. The 2014 riverboat cruise season officially kicks off March 1 with daily, one-hour sightseeing cruises. Skyline Dinner Cruises begin in April, which is also when the Archview Caf’ opens for the 2014 season! We can feel it getting warmer. Can you?
Click here to see the entire 2014 Gateway Arch Riverboats cruise schedule, and reserve your tickets online athttp://ticketsforthearch.com. Stay tuned for details on the celebrations in the works for the riverboats!
Again, happy birthday to St. Louis and Tom and Becky!