The following is a timeline of the history of the city of St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Prior to 19th-century 1764 – St. Louis founded by Pierre Laclède in Louisiana, New Spain. 1767 - It was "a log-cabin village of perhaps 500 inhabitants". 1770 - Spanish in power. 1780 – "Indian attack." 1785 - Floods. 1799 – Population: 925. 19th century 1800s–1850s 1800 – St. Louis becomes part of French Louisiana. 1804 St. Louis becomes part of U.S. territory per Louisiana Purchase. Post Office established. 1805 – St. Louis becomes capital of the U.S. Louisiana Territory. 1808 – Missouri Gazette newspaper begins publication. 1809 Town incorporated. Missouri Fur Company established. 1811 – December 16: New Madrid earthquake. 1812 – St. Louis County established. 1815 – Theatre opens. 1816 – Bank of St. Louis incorporated. 1818 Saint Louis Academy founded. Baptist Church built. 1819 – Erin Benevolent Society founded. 1820 June: Missouri constitutional convention held. September: Missouri General Assembly convenes. 1821 St. Louis becomes part of the new U.S. state of Missouri. City Directory begins publication. 1822 City of St. Louis incorporated. Area of city: 385 acres. 1823 – William Carr Lane becomes mayor. 1825 – Lafayette visits town. 1826 – Catholic Diocese of St. Louis established. 1828 – County Courthouse built. 1830 – Population: 4,977. 1832 - Cholera. 1834 Daily Evening Herald newspaper begins publication. Cathedral of St. Louis consecrated. 1835 – Anzeiger des Westens German-language newspaper begins publication. 1836 – Chamber of Commerce established. 1837 – Daniel Webster visits city. 1840 City boundaries expanded. Population: 16,469. 1841 United Hebrew Congregation founded. Area of city: 4.5 square miles. 1844 Anti-immigration unrest. Floods. 1846 Dred Scott files lawsuit. Mercantile Library Association established. 1847 – Boatmen's Savings Institution chartered. 1849 Concordia Seminary relocates to St. Louis. Cholera epidemic. Fire. Bellefontaine Cemetery established. 1850 Third Baptist Church established. Population: 77,860. 1851 – Bates' Theatre opens. 1852 Iron Mountain railroad built. Bavarian Brewery in business. 1853 – Washington University founded. 1854 – Czech Slavonic Benevolent Society founded. 1856 Academy of Science founded. St. Louis Agricultural and Mechanical Fair begins. Grand Opera House opens. 1857 For the next quarter century, the city was "the centre of an idealistic philosophical movement". St. Louis Fire Department established. Lindell Hotel in business. Dred Scott decision in March, 1857. Westliche Post (German language newspaper) established. (closed 1938) 1859 Horse-drawn streetcars begin operating . Mary Institute founded. Synagogue consecrated on