The Osage (Wa-zha-zhe) were early inhabitants of the Missouri region, with villages along the Osage and other Missouri rivers. French explorers first made contact with the Osage in the 1670s, when the Osage were the most powerful tribe in the region. The French cultivated strong trade relations with the Osage lasting into the early 19th century, and the Chouteau family figured early in Missouri history by establishing a flourishing commercial relationship. The Osage referred to St. Louis as Chouteau's town and traded furs at the early settlement for European goods. Trails and trade routes established by early Native Americans in the area eventually became Route 66 and I-44, the roads traveled today.