This Month in St. Louis History

One of the last great Indian chiefs killed here

Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa Indians was one of the last great Indian warrior chiefs. He led an uprising by several tribes against the British, which included a two-year siege of Fort du Detroit.

But, his death occurred at the Cahokia Mounds settlement. His death was on April 20, 1769, at the hands of a Peoria Indian.

There is confusion as to where he was buried. Some say near Cahokia. Others say his body was taken across the Mississippi for burial in St. Louis.

April is also the start of the baseball season. This year, the spotlight is on the St. Louis Cardinals playing in a new Busch Stadium. But, in years past, baseball trivia experts like to focus on a couple of unique actions in April by the old St. Louis Browns.

These are some of the items from Aprils past that enrich the history of St. Louis and the surrounding area.

Each month, the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park puts together a list of events-some significant, others trivial-that helped to shape the history of the St. Louis area. Young Saint Louis.com then brings them to you for your information and enjoyment. (If you'd like to learn more, visit www.mohistory.org.)

Pontiac, famed Indian chief, murdered

Indian history before the white man often involved the conflict of one tribe against another. But, after the French and British settlers came, Indians found themselves taking sides against the Europeans.

Chief Pontiac

Chief Pontiac of the Ottawas was one chief who managed to overcome tribal rivalries to put together a coalition to fight the British.

By and large, the Ottawas had gotten along with the French. They cooperated in trade.

But, when the British took over French forts in the Great Lakes area, they took a hard line with the Indians. British officials cut off many supplies, including ammunition.

Pontiac brought various Indian tribes together to fight back. He thought if he restored the forts to the French, the better trading practices would return.

However, French and British diplomats in Europe arranged to end their conflict.

Pontiac's influence waned. After nearly two years, Pontiac ended the siege of Detroit. Where he had once led 18 tribes, Pontiac was reduced to only a few followers.

He came south to Cahokia on a trading visit. But, the Peoria tribe thought the trip was for war purposes. They arranged to have an Indian assassinate Pontiac.

The question of whether Pontiac was buried is still a mystery. Was it at Cahokia or were his remains taken across the Mississippi for burial in St. Louis?

To read the full Pontiac story, visit http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=180
&category=events

Some local baseball trivia in April

The St. Louis Cardinals open their 2006 season in a new Busch Stadium. The new ballpark was built on the same site as the former Busch Stadium. The construction has been accomplished between the end of the 2005 season and the start of the new one.

But, a look back in baseball history finds lots of other events during the first month of the new seasons. A couple of the more unique ones involved the old St. Louis Browns.

In 1952, the St. Louis Browns lent two black minor players to the Hankyu Braves of the Japanese Pacific League. It was the first time a major league team in the U.S. had sent any of its players outside of the country.

The guy who negotiated the deal was Abe Saperstein, the owner/coach of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. The Browns players were third baseman John Britton and pitcher Jim Newberry.

In 1917, the start of World War I, the American League got the Army to assign drill sergeants to each team for daily pre-game drills. A final contest was held to see which teams did best. The St. Louis Browns won the $500 prize.

For interesting baseball history, visit www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary. Then, click on Chronology for a rundown of activities by years.

Mark Twain gets his riverboat pilot license

Mark Twain is one of America's most famous authors. But, before that, the Hannibal, Mo., native was also a riverboat pilot.

In the fall of 1856, he was on a trip from Cincinnati to New Orleans on a riverboat. He persuaded the pilot of the boat, Horace Bixby, to take him on as an apprentice. He qualified for his own pilot's license in April, 1859.

Because riverboats were one of the most popular modes of transportation, Twain got a chance to meet a variety of people who had a wide variety of stories. Many of these people and these stories ended up in his books.

For more about Twain, visit www.barbsbooks.com/M_Twain.htm.

St. Louis Camera Club hosts first exhibition in 1915

The St. Louis Camera Club held its first exhibition in April, 1915. The exhibits included 150 prints.

The group of five amateur photographers held its first meeting on Feb. 12, 1914. Its leader was Oscar Kuehn.

Its club competitions were in black and white until 1945. Then, color slide competitions were added.

For more, visit www.stlcameraclub.com.

Prohibition ends; St. Louis beer industry revives

April 7, 1933, was a big day for the beer industry in St. Louis. That was the day the repeal of prohibition on alcoholic beverages went into effect.

Of course, St. Louis is known now as the home base for Anheuser-Busch, the world's largest brewing company. But, the history of beer in St. Louis goes back many years.

And, in the mid-1800s, St. Louis had anywhere from 40 to 53 breweries. Some historians consider John Coons as the first St. Louis brewer with production as early as 1804.

For more about St. Louis beer, visit www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/county/stlouis/beer.htm.