Groundbreaking for St. Louis Hills began in 1930 and came to completion in the mid-1950s. French colonists Madame Ann Camp and Anton Reihle were deeded the land (2,471 acres) in 1768 from none other than one of St. Louis' founders, Pierre Laclede. Camp and Reihl's heirs sold the property to George Clarke, who then turn it over to his two sons. When St. Louis become the City of St. Louis in 1836, the property was vast open land with sections of forest. The land remained virtually untouched until the start of development in 1930.
David Francis, purchased part of the property in 1884 and established a farm. Francis became the President of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition beginning in 1889 and continue his service through its opening in 1904. Francis actually considered offering his farmland as a site for the World's Fair, but in the end, the pure logistics of transportation was too much. So, what is now Forest Park was chosen to be the site of the 1904 World's Fair. When Francis was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Russia in 1916, he made a gift of the land to the city. It was then named Francis Park. David Francis died in 1927, just before development of the property started in 1930. Today Francis Park is one of the most popular and well-maintained "neighborhood parks" in St. Louis.
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