Once used for storing and blending whiskey, the Trader Building was likely raided as part of the infamous St. Louis Whiskey Ring in the 1870s.. The scheme ran an extensive network of bribes to distillers, IRS agents, and elected officials in order to defraud the federal government of liquor taxes. Legend says the money was used to finance the second presidential campaign of Ulysses S. Grant. Ironically the secretary of the Treasury, Benjamin Bestow, who was appointed by Grant in 1874 unraveled the enterprise that led to the prosecution of ring leader and Missouri Collector of revenue, John McDonald who had also been appointed by Grant in 1869. Jury is still out on whether or not Grant was in the know about the ring. One thing we know for sure is that we didn’t cut any corners during the renovation process. Both the structural and non-structural integrity has been restored in this beautiful historic building on Laclede’s Landing.
