Why Our Name?

St. Louis is called “Mound City” because the area was once filled with large earthen mounds built by Indigenous peoples of the Mississippian culture, who lived in the Mississippi River Valley roughly between 600 and 1300 CE. These societies constructed dozens of ceremonial and burial mounds across the region, with their major urban center at Cahokia just across the river in present-day Illinois. Early European settlers in the 1700s and 1800s encountered many of these earthworks within what would become St. Louis, and the abundance of them led the growing city to adopt the nickname “Mound City.” Over time, however, most of the mounds were destroyed during urban expansion, leaving only one remaining mound within the city limits today. 

The nickname has remained an enduring part of the city’s identity and continues to appear in local businesses and institutions, including Mound City Shelled Nut Co. Founded in 1917, our company adopted the name as a tribute to St. Louis’ historic nickname and its deep regional roots. By using “Mound City” in our name, we tie our brand to the city’s heritage and longstanding local identity, reflecting both the history of the area and its connection to the St. Louis community.