Francis Vigo

Francis Vigo was born on December 3, 1747 in Mondovi, a small town now located in Northern Italy. At a young age, Vigo enlisted as a Spanish solider and was sent to New Orleans. This area had become a Spanish possession in November 1762 after the secret Treaty of Fontainebleau ceded French Louisiana and New Orleans to Spain, for fear of it falling into the hands of the British after the French and Indian War. After completing his military service, Vigo stayed in the area, becoming a successful fur trader. By 1772, records indicate that he had relocated to St. Louis, the business center of Upper Louisiana, and was a business associate of Lt. Governor Fernado de Leyba.