Auguste Chouteau

1749–1825 (age 76)

Fur Trader/Merchant

Photograph of Auguste Chouteau

Biography

Auguste Chouteau was one of the most influential figures in the founding and development of St. Louis. As a fur trader and merchant of exceptional ability, he helped establish the commercial networks that made St. Louis a vital center of frontier commerce and culture.

Chouteau's legacy is woven into the very fabric of St. Louis's history. His long and productive life was instrumental in shaping the region, and he was interred at Calvary Cemetery, where he is remembered as one of the great founders of the American frontier.