Clement Delor de Treget, a Frenchman, founded Carondelet in 1767 and named the village in honor of Baron Francis Louis de Carondelet, the Spanish governor of the Louisiana Territory. Due to its prime location at the confluence of the River Des Peres and the Mississippi River, Carondelet attracted a wide array of industries and a diverse population where racial lines were often blurred and ethnic groups peacefully coexisted. The community has contributed greatly to American history from the site of construction of the Civil War ironclad boats to the location of the American kindergarten movement. Today the community is striving to preserve its proud heritage and build on the strength of its diverse population. The historic images in this book illustrate the city's founding and development from the first French settlers to the coming of Germans, Irish, Italians, African Americans, and Spanish, its annexation to the city of St. Louis in 1870, its economic hardships, and its present revitalization.
