Jefferson City in Callaway County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
N. Jefferson to Tebbetts
Points of Interest
The distance from North Jefferson to Tebbetts is 12 miles. The trail passes through Wainwright (milepost 137.6), which was named after a St. Louis financier who helped establish the Missouri, Kansas & Eastern Railroad, later part of the Katy. Although the trail still parallels the Missouri River, it is closer to another mode of transportationMo. Hwy 94. Bluffs are on the left, and a variety of habitats are on the right.
Cτte Sans Dessein (milepost 134) or "hill without design (purpose)" runs parallel to the Missouri River. It is about a mile from the trail (on the right) and is a mile long ridge, 200 yards wide at the base and 150 feet high. Cτte Hill, as it's known locally, is composed of dolomite. One theory suggests that at one time, Cτte San Dessein was on the south side of the Missouri River.
French Canadians settled the Cτte Sans Dessein area in 1808, and at that time it was the westernmost settlement in the United States.
[The remainder of the marker is unreadable.]
Erected by Missouri State Parks.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars
this page online
Location. 38° 36.355′ N, 92° 9.738′ W. Marker has been damaged. Marker is in Jefferson City, Missouri, in Callaway County. It is on Katy Road 0.9 miles north of Oilwell Road, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Holts Summit MO 65043, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Little Dixie and in the Missouri River Corridor. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: Jefferson City & Fulton Points of Interest (here, next to this marker); N. Jefferson to Hartsburg (here, next to this marker); History of Jefferson City Area
Additional commentary.
1. Cote sans Dessein, French Village
The words Cote sans Dessein signify "a hill without design," and was the name of an ancient French village standing on the banks of the Missouri River near the mouth of the Osage River. The original French inhabitants moved from the village of La Charette in Warren County and settled at Cote sans Dessein probably about the year 1808. It was once a populous place becoming a stopping off place for settlers from Kentucky. This village had its share in the Indian wars, at one time was the furthest west population center of western civilization and was selected to become the State Capital of the emerging State of Missouri before overruled by the newly elected Governor Alexander McNair. The
Photographed by Wayne Johnson
3. N. Jefferson to Tebbetts Marker
A section of a map of the Missouri River by 1879 survey by the Army Corps of Engineers
— Submitted May 24, 2026, by Wayne Johnson of Jefferson City, Missouri.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 25, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 301 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 25, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on May 24, 2026, by Wayne Johnson of Jefferson City, Missouri.
