The Spanish Lake area has a long history tied to the strategic confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers in the Louisiana Territory by the 18th century. Transfer of the territory from France to Spain was confirmed in 1763, and in 1767 the Spanish built Fort Don Corlos on the south bank of the Missouri River near its mouth, though by 1780 the fort had fallen to ruin. The United States took over the Upper Louisiana Territory on March 10, 1804, and the next year James Wilkinson selected a site at the mouth of Coldwater Creek for Fort Belle Fontaine, the first American military post west of the Mississippi. Zebulon Pike began his westward explorations of 1805 and 1806 from Fort Belle Fontaine, and Lewis and Clark stopped here on September 22, 1806, for the last night of their great journey. Daniel Bissell built a new Fort Belle Fontaine atop the bluffs in 1810, and the army moved to Jefferson Barracks in 1826. Tradition holds that Spanish Pond was named for the Spanish soldiers encamped nearby. In the 19th century, a farming community grew around the intersection of Bellefontaine and Spanish Pond Roads. The name Spanish Lake came into use in the 1890's as investors promoted a residential development here. Although little development occurred, Spanish Lake became a popular recreation attraction, and Spanish Lake Park was created in 1971, while the site of Fort Belle Fontaine is also a County Park.