The younger generation would be surprised to learn that St. Louis once was a thriving metropolis. Those of another generation who still are around today remember and some may agree, as the Associated Press pointed out, that the national perception today is that it peaked a century ago.St. Louis was the fourth largest city in the country in 1904 when it hosted both the Olympics and the World’s Fair. Since then, the AP reminded us, the city has lost a half a million in population as people moved to the suburbs. Today, with 320,000 residents, St. Louis ranks 60th in population. St. Louis’ population peaked at 850,000 in the mid-20th century.Once, in addition to its Fortune 500 companies and Mississippi River commerce, St. Louis was second to only Detroit in automobile production.St. Louis is emerging as the front-runner for startup companies, Forbes magazine said. Civic leaders are trying to make science enterprises as a foundation for the future. Washington University and St. Louis University are great assets. The city is beginning to be a center for biotech companies. The AP said the hotspot in St. Louis is a 5-mile corridor between the two universities. At the center of it is the Cortex district, a 200-acre “innovation hub” that houses 250 new companies.Downtown projects are in the works and the city’s future is beginning to brighten somewhat. Much of its future is based on high-tech jobs and biotech employment.It’s going to take a long time for the city to resemble what it was in 1904 in population and businesses.