The Greater St. Louis, MO Service Center - First American Title Company
ST. LOUIS City/County
On the 14th of February, 1764 Auguste Chouteau and a band of 30 men landed on the west bank of the Mississippi and found the settlement that is now St. Louis. Development was, for that period, rapid with the first land grant being issued in 1776 and the incorporation of the city in 1809. Although the river and the transportation it provided were the focal point of industry in early St. Louis it's history is rich with development and "firsts". The first newspaper west of the Mississippi, The Missouri Gazette, was started in 1808. In 1868 that newspaper reported that we were home to the only functioning typewriter in the United States. (That typewriter is probably still in use in one of our title offices today). The first university of the western expansion was St. Louis University. Though it did not receive it's charter until December of 1832 the institution as been in operation since 1818. And though not the first in the new nation the St. Louis Symphony, founded in 1880, is second only in age to the New York Philharmonic. No summation of the history of St. Louis can omit mention of the Dred Scott Decision in 1857 in which the Supreme Court rejected Scott's plea for freedom and set the country on a path to civil war. On October 22, 1876 the city of St. Louis divorced itself officially from the county and became the only city in the state not within a county. This unusual status exists today.

The cultural growth of the area is highlighted by certain milestones. The opening of Forest Park in 1876 prepared the setting of the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition (World's Fair) which opened at noon on April 30. The opening of Union Station in 1894 made St. Louis a center of rail transportation that trailed off until it closed to traffic in 1978. Today, due to a massive renovation in 1985, Union Station again thrives as an elegant shopping and dining complex. In 1913 the St. Louis Zoo was established and is today one of the finest in the world. In February of 1963 a project was begun that was to symbolize St. Louis' place as the gateway to the west and over two years later on October 28, 1965 the last section of the St. Louis Arch was put in place. In addition visitors to this great city today also have access to world class facilities such as the Planetarium, Science Center, Botanical Garden, Art Museum, Powell Hall, Municipal Opera House (the Muni) and Fox Theater each having it's own unique history.

Today the Regional Commerce and Growth Association (RCGA)which grew from roots planted in 1836 will tell you the industrial segment of St. Louis prides itself in it's place in the automotive, aeronautic and technology fields.

We are of course also home to a brewery which grew from a small operation of 1861 when an immigrant named August Busch assumed control introducing it's flagship Budweiser in 1876.

First American Title Insurance in St. Louis is successor to the oldest title company in the area having it's beginning in 1837. Eight offices currently serve the metropolitan area with a specialized commercial department and a construction disbursing service.

JEFFERSON County
Indian mounds excavated in the Lower Meramec region indicate civilization existed in the Jefferson County area as early as 300 A.D. This county, so rich in history, was formed in 1818 and named after the 3rd president of the United States. At the time of its inception the county seat was in Herculaneum. In February of 1839 the county seat was moved to the city of Monticello later renamed Hillsboro. The original courthouse in Hillsboro was replaced in 1865 and though the "new" building was completely renovated in 1953 and expanded in 1966 it still sits on the original site.

Mining played a large part in the development of the Jefferson County region and this effort was given a boost when, as reflected on a granite plaque in a park in DeSoto, the advent of railways in 1857 made the shipping of the mined ore more effective.

More than 100 sites have been identified as dating back more than a century in the towns that make up this growing community. The Sandy Creek bridge built in 1872 and still in use is one of the few remaining covered bridges in the state. Built in 1857 the home of Thomas C. Fletcher, the 1st native Missourian to serve as governor of the state (1865 - 1869) still stands.

First American Title Insurance traces it's roots in this community through its acquisition of Jefferson County Abstract Co. which opened it doors shortly after the turn of the century. This office has now grown to five covering community primed for growth.

BUTLER County
Butler County was officially formed February 27th, 1849 from a part of Wayne County. The area of 439,527 acres, with a population of 38,765 is rich in prime forest and farmland. Named for Gen. William Orlando Butler (1791-1800) of Kentucky - a soldier, lawyer and politician - the first county commission awarded the county seat to the City of Poplar Bluff. Chosen for its location both at the center of the county as well as its high ground on the Black River the county seat remains here today.

Poplar Bluff, with a population of 16,996 (1990), is a center for farm trade as well as shoe, wood and plastic products. Named for the dense growth of tulip poplar trees the city is known by some as the "Gateway to the Ozarks". Surrounded by two lakes (Clearwater and Wappapella) and three rivers (Current, Black and St. Frances) Poplar Bluff offers beauty and recreation to the 174,000 visitors it regularly draws from surrounding communities from St. Louis to Memphis.