Saint Charles

Saint Charles. . First permanent settlement on the Missouri River, known as Les Petites Cotes (Fr. Little Hills) until after dedication of Church of St. Charles Borromeo, 1791. Though 1780 is given as date of founding French-Canadian Louis Blanchette first settled here in 1769. , The area was first settled by the French and later largely by Americans and Germans. Prominent early settlers were Daniel Boone and his family. Some 25 miles southwest is home of Boone's son, Nathan. The Boon's Lick and Salt River trails began at St. Charles. , During the War of 18 12 military activity in Missouri centered at Portage des Sioux, a 1799 French settlement, 14 miles northeast. In Fort Zumwalt State Park, 20 miles west, stand the remains of one of many family forts of the area erected against Indian attacks., Here were established the first school of the Sacred Heart of the U.S., 1818, by Mother Duchesne; Baptist and Presbyterian churches, 1818; first Masonic lodge north of Missouri River, 1819; a town academy, chartered, 1820; a newspaper, "The Missourian," 1820; and the Methodist St. Charles College, chartered 1837. , St. Charles was made the temporary State Capital, 1821-1826, by act of the First General Assembly, meeting in St. Louis, 1820. Here the Legislature, by affirming in a "Solemn Public Act" that the rights of any U.S. citizen would not be abridged, met the final Congressional requirement for statehood. Debate over the slavery issue that greeted Missouri's petition for statehood resolved itself in the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Slavery was prohibited north of 36 30' except in Missouri. On Aug. 10, 1821, Missouri became the 24th state. , Near here is the junction of the Missouri and Mississippi. Marquette and Jolliet noted this point, 1673, and here the Lewis and Clark Expedition began its ascent of the Missouri, 1804. Three bridges cross the Missouri and two cross the Mississippi in St. Charles County. , Seat of justice for one of Missouri's first 5 counties, earlier one of 5 Spanish districts, St. Charles serves as a farming and industrial area. Here are the Old State Capitol; Sacred Heart Convent; St. Charles Borromeo Cemetery; and Lindenwood College, chartered, 1853, founded earlier by George and Mary Sibley, one of oldest schools for women in Mississippi Valley.