Background
He was born in Bedous, France, on November 22, 1729. He was one of the younger sons in his family, with parents being office-holders, authors, and scholars of some prominence.
He was born in Bedous, France, on November 22, 1729. He was one of the younger sons in his family, with parents being office-holders, authors, and scholars of some prominence.
Educated at the Military Academy of Toulouse, he went to Louisiana in pursuit of fortune in 1755.
In July 1763, with other merchants (Maxent, Laclède and Company), he obtained the exclusive grant of the fur trade of the Missouri and upper Mississippi rivers. He left New Orleans in August of that year, with 13-year-old (René) Auguste Chouteau as his clerk, and in December chose the present site of St. Louis as the location for his trading post. The following February he sent Chouteau with workmen from the village of Fort Chartres to begin construction according to the plan LaclèdeLaclede had drawn up. Although the monopoly was canceled in 1765 by incoming Spanish authorities, Laclède remained as principal merchant and first citizen of the town that quickly grew up around his trading post. He commonly signed his name Laclède Liguest to distinguish himself from his older brother. He died on the Mississippi River on June 19, 1778, while returning from a business visit in New Orleans.
He founded St. Louis in 1764. The St. Louis downtown riverfront area is named Laclede's Landing in his honor. He is also the namesake of Laclede County, Missouri, Laclede, Missouri, the Pierre Laclede Honors College at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.
Laclede is also recognized with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
Laclède is described as handsome. He was said to be olive-skinned with dark eyes, tall and slender.
Upon arriving to New Orleans, Laclède met and fell in love with Madame Marie-Therese Bourgeois Chouteau. It is documented that they had a liaison for many years following, resulting in the birth of four children: Jean Pierre (1758), Marie Pélagie (1760), Marie Louise (1762), and Victoire (1764) Chouteau.
