As a growing city situated along the Mississippi River, St. Louis played a significant role in the logging and lumber industries of the Midwest and beyond. In the 19th century, St. Louis became a vital center for the processing and distribution of lumber due to its strategic location along the Mississippi River. Lumber mills and sawmills were established along the riverbanks, where logs harvested from forests upstream were transported by steamboats to be processed and distributed throughout the region.

The availability of timber resources in nearby states like Missouri, Illinois, and Arkansas contributed to St. Louis's growth as a lumber center. In addition to local timber, the city also served as a transshipment point for lumber from further upstream, including the vast pine forests of Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The lumber industry in St. Louis reached its peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, coinciding with the city's rapid industrialization and expansion. Lumberyards, planing mills, and other wood-related businesses proliferated along the riverfront, employing thousands of workers and fueling economic growth.

However, by the mid-20th century, changes in transportation, logging practices, and market dynamics led to the decline of the lumber industry in St. Louis. Railroads and highways supplanted steamboats as the primary means of transportation, and the depletion of old-growth forests necessitated the adoption of sustainable forestry practices.

Today, while the lumber industry no longer dominates the economy of St. Louis as it once did, its legacy is still visible in the city's architecture, infrastructure, and cultural heritage. Many historic buildings in St. Louis were constructed using locally sourced lumber.