It was during the antebellum period that the first attempts were made at separating the city of St. Louis, then the county's largest municipality, from the county.
In 1843, a group of St. Louis city residents petitioned the state legislature to separate the two entities.
The General Assembly passed a resolution calling for a referendum on the subject among county voters outside the city.
This vote, held on August 7, 1844, showed a majority of county voters opposed to separation.

Despite the vote, controversy continued and tension mounted between the county government and the city government during the 1840s and 1850s.
Much of the dispute involved the double taxation of city residents and their proportionally lesser representation in county government.
The reform of 1859, in which the County Court was abolished by the state government and replaced by a Board of Commissioners, was in large part a reaction to city outcry over mismanagement of tax money.
More than a name change, the reform expanded the size of the county government council to seven members, with four seats set aside for city representation (the city, however, had roughly ten times the population of the county at that time).
The reform temporarily ameliorated the tensions, and in 1863, the General Assembly restored the name of the county government to its former name of County Court.

Despite some reforms, controversy returned and grew during the 1860s.
This was in much part because although representation on the County Court had improved for city residents, the county continued to tax city residents for the same services that the city provided and for which the city taxed them.
Several plans began to circulate during the late 1860s that would relieve this burden, including home rule status for St. Louis, further reorganization of the County Court to ensure greater representation, city-county government consolidation, and separation of the two entities.
The General Assembly considered several plans during this period, and in March 1871, it passed a further reorganization of the County Court; the new Court would have an at-large presiding judge, four seats reserved for city residents, and two seats for county residents.
This reform, however, pleased virtually no one pushing for reform, and it made little practical difference in the operation of the county government.

Thus a consolidation plan proceeded in the General Assembly in 1871, backed by city political leaders Anthony Ittner and Roderick E. Rombauer.
The Missouri Republican newspaper strongly backed the approach, while the Missouri Democrat argued it would lead city leaders into corruption.
The latter pressed for a separation plan, support for which was led by David H. Armstrong.
The separation plan gained greater support when it became clear that the mistrust between city and county residents precluded consolidation.
A citizen group known as the Taxpayers League formed in 1872 to advance the separation cause, and city leaders looked to Baltimore, Maryland, which had separated from Baltimore County in 1853, as an example.

The mechanism by which separation took place began in 1875 at the state constitutional convention.
At the convention, a committee examined the issues of St. Louis government, and it summarized the two options facing the region as consolidation and separation.
The full convention voted to include a provision in the constitution allowing for separation; the vote was 53 in favor, 4 opposed, 11 absent.
Only one member of the St. Louis delegation opposed separation:
I am in favor of total consolidation of St. Louis County, but I am not in favor of dividing it, splitting and hacking it in this manner...I vote no.

— Nicolas A. Mortell, Cohn, 29.

In 1877, the City of St. Louis separated from the county, creating an independent city.
The city in August 1876 narrowly approved the separation while county residents overwhelmingly opposed the separation.
City residents had argued they wanted to be "rid of county taxes and state influence over county government."
At the time the city had 350,000 resi
It was during the antebellum period that the first attempts were made at separating the city of St. Louis, then the county's largest municipality, from the county. In 1843, a group of St. Louis city residents petitioned the state legislature to separate the two entities. The General Assembly passed a resolution calling for a referendum on the subject among county voters outside the city. This vote, held on August 7, 1844, showed a majority of county voters opposed to separation.
Despite the vote, controversy continued and tension mounted between the county government and the city government during the 1840s and 1850s. Much of the dispute involved the double taxation of city residents and their proportionally lesser representation in county government. The reform of 1859, in which the County Court was abolished by the state government and replaced by a Board of Commissioners, was in large part a reaction to city outcry over mismanagement of tax money. More than a name change, the reform expanded the size of the county government council to seven members, with four seats set aside for city representation (the city, however, had roughly ten times the population of the county at that time). The reform temporarily ameliorated the tensions, and in 1863, the General Assembly restored the name of the county government to its former name of County Court.
Despite some reforms, controversy returned and grew during the 1860s. This was in much part because although representation on the County Court had improved for city residents, the county continued to tax city residents for the same services that the city provided and for which the city taxed them. Several plans began to circulate during the late 1860s that would relieve this burden, including home rule status for St. Louis, further reorganization of the County Court to ensure greater representation, city-county government consolidation, and separation of the two entities. The General Assembly considered several plans during this period, and in March 1871, it passed a further reorganization of the County Court; the new Court would have an at-large presiding judge, four seats reserved for city residents, and two seats for county residents. This reform, however, pleased virtually no one pushing for reform, and it made little practical difference in the operation of the county government.
Thus a consolidation plan proceeded in the General Assembly in 1871, backed by city political leaders Anthony Ittner and Roderick E. Rombauer. The Missouri Republican newspaper strongly backed the approach, while the Missouri Democrat argued it would lead city leaders into corruption. The latter pressed for a separation plan, support for which was led by David H. Armstrong. The separation plan gained greater support when it became clear that the mistrust between city and county residents precluded consolidation. A citizen group known as the Taxpayers League formed in 1872 to advance the separation cause, and city leaders looked to Baltimore, Maryland, which had separated from Baltimore County in 1853, as an example.
The mechanism by which separation took place began in 1875 at the state constitutional convention. At the convention, a committee examined the issues of St. Louis government, and it summarized the two options facing the region as consolidation and separation. The full convention voted to include a provision in the constitution allowing for separation; the vote was 53 in favor, 4 opposed, 11 absent. Only one member of the St. Louis delegation opposed separation:
I am in favor of total consolidation of St. Louis County, but I am not in favor of dividing it, splitting and hacking it in this manner...I vote no.
— Nicolas A. Mortell, Cohn, 29.
In 1877, the City of St. Louis separated from the county, creating an independent city. The city in August 1876 narrowly approved the separation while county residents overwhelmingly opposed the separation. City residents had argued they wanted to be "rid of county taxes and state influence over county government." At the time the city had 350,000 resi
St. Louis County, Missouri