Ladue, nestled in central St. Louis County, Missouri, is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis. As of the 2013 census, its population stood at 8,560. The city’s origins trace back to its days as a farming community in St. Louis County, from which it evolved into the thriving suburb it is today.

After the separation of St. Louis City from St. Louis County in 1876, Ladue was known as ranges 4 and 5 within “Township 45,” with Clayton as the administrative center. The area was initially settled by farming families, including Irish families like the Dennys, Dwyers, Conways, McCutcheons, and McKnights, German families such as the Litzsingers, Schraders, Spoedes, Luedloffs, Muellers, and Seigers, French families like the LaDues, and English families including the Warsons, Lays, Barnes, Prices, and Watsons.

The advent of automobile transportation led to farmers in the Ladue area selling parts of their land to city workers seeking residences outside the urban setting. In 1936, the merger of three small villages—Village of LaDue, Village of Deer Creek, and the Village of McKnight—resulted in the formation of the modern city of Ladue.

The city’s name, Ladue, is derived from Ladue Road, a significant route connecting St. Louis City to the large estate of Peter Albert LaDue, a wealthy entrepreneur. Born in Kinderhook, New York, in 1821, Peter Albert LaDue was a notable Saint Louis personality, serving in various capacities including attorney, alderman, banker, and land speculator. His influential role and the development of Ladue Road have left a lasting legacy in the city that now shares his name.