Carondelet, Missouri

Carondelet
St. Louis neighborhood
Private residences along a traffic island in Carondelet.
Location of the Carondelet neighborhood within St. Louis
Country	United States
State	Missouri
City	St. Louis
Wards	11, 13, 25
Area
• Total	1.45 sq mi (3.8 km2)
Population (2010)
• Total	8,661
• Density	6,000/sq mi (2,300/km2)
ZIP code(s)	Parts of 63111
Area code(s)	314
Website	stlouis-mo.gov

Carondelet /kəˈrɒndəlɛt/ is a neighborhood in the extreme southeastern portion of St. Louis, Missouri. It was incorporated as an independent city in 1851 and was annexed by the City of St. Louis in 1870. As of the 2000 Census, the neighborhood has a population of 9,960 people.

Carondelet was named after Baron Carondelet, the governor of the Spanish colony Upper Louisiana. The community also held a number of names and nicknames over the centuries, including: Delor's Village, Catalan's Prairie, Louisbourg, Vide Poche, and Sugarloaf.

Carondelet was founded in 1767 by Clement Delor de Treget who was born in Cahors, Quercy in southern France. He obtained a grant from St. Ange and built a stone house. The village was first known as Delor's Village. Afterwards it was known as Catalan's Prairie, named for Louis Catalan, an early settler. Later the village was called Louisbourg, most likely in honor of Louis XVI, the king of France (1774-1793). It is said that shortly after the territory passed from French to Spanish hands, Treget wished to have his commission as captain of the militia renewed. Since he was French and Baron de Carondelet, the governor general of Louisiana, was in Spanish service, he feared that his commission might be refused, so he flattered Carondelet by naming the village for him and received his commission.

In the early days the village was given the nickname Vide Poche (French: empty pocket) because the inhabitants were said to have been poor. Carondelet citizens had to buy flour from St. Louis, and often they could not pay for it, for their pockets were empty. Another explanation translates the nickname to mean "Empties Pocket," conveying the idea that it was a place where the pockets of those visiting would be emptied. The inhabitants of Carondelet were noted for their hospitality and fondness for all kinds of sports and amusements. The St. Louis visitor would return home with emptied pockets - the Carondelet men may have had fleeter horses or have been more skillful card players. When a St. Louisan was asked to visit Carondelet on Sunday afternoon, he would reply, "A quoi sert, c'est un vide poche." (meaning: "Of what use, is a place that empties pocket). Another nickname applied to Carondelet was "Pain de Sucre" or the "Sugarloaf."