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Downtown Kansas City in Jackson County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
 

Old French Kansas City

 
 
Old French Kansas City Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Thomas Onions, November 11, 2011
1. Old French Kansas City Marker
English Version
Inscription.
English Version

A short distance northwest of this marker was the center of the village which in the early 1800's the St. Louis Chouteau called "Chez Lez Canses"" meaning "at the home of the Kansas." Others called it "Chouteau's." The Chouteaus founded Kansas City in 1821 to trade for beaver furs with the French-speaking Kansa. French traders started coming up the Missouri as early as 1680 and traded on the River thereafter; some located here temporarily in 1799, and a few Canadian French farmers arrived here about 1803 to 1813. To the west was the Church of St. Francis Regis, built of logs by the French-speaking parishoners in 1835, with its cemetery behind. Down over the West Bluffs were little arpent strip farms of the French, and their songs and the music of their fiddles could be heard in the area which is now Quality Hill. To the North along the Missouri river were their open fields which became Kansas City's old square. North of Ft. Leavenworth was the abandoned site of Fort Cavagnal (1744-1764) at the second old Kansas Grand Village. East past Prudhumme's farm which downtown Kansas City was platted, was Francois and Berenice Chouteau's trading post near the present Chouteau Bridge. Further east near Brunswick, Mo., was the former home of Ft. Orleans established at the Missouri Village
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in 1723, for trade with Taos and Santa Fe, by Etienne Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont, protege of Louis XIV and the Regent. French mountain men-turned trail guides visited Westport to the South, probably including Sacajawea's son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, former "Chouteau's" resident. Out Wornall Road, the Old French trail led to Pappinville, abandoned Ft, Carondelet and Chouteau's Trading Post, South among the Osage.

French Version

A environ deux blocs au nord-ouest de cette plaque, se trouvait le centre du village nommé "chez les Canses" ce qui voulait dire "chez les Kansa" par la famille Chouteau de Saint Louis début des années 1800. D'autres l'appelaient "Aux Chouteaux". Les Chourteau fondèrerent Kansas City en 1821 afin d’établir un comploir commercial de fourrures de castor avec les Kansa francophones. Les negociants français commencèrent à remonter le Missouri des 1680 et continuèrent luer commerce le long de la rivière. Certains s’établirent temporairement en 1799 et quelques fermiers canadiens français arrivèment vers les années 1803-1813. A l’ouest se trouvent l’église de Saint-Francois Regis, construite en troncs d’arbes par les pariossiens francophones en 1835 ainsi que son cimetière. En contrebas sur les collines de l’ouest, il y avail quelque arpents de terre appartenat à des fermiers francais d’ou les chants
Old French Kansas City Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Thomas Onions, November 11, 2011
2. Old French Kansas City Marker
French Version
et la musique des violons s’envolaient vers ce qui est des nos jours Quality Hill. En direction du nord, il y avait plusieurs fermes françaises sur les Missouri dont les champs devinrent le vieux carré de Kansas City, à present le marché de la ville. Au nord du Fort Leavenworth se s’etait l’emplacement abandonné de Fort Cavagnal (1744-1764) près du second grand village des Kansa. A l’est au-delà de la ferme de Prudhumme sur l’aquelle le contrebas de la ville de Kansas City fut fondé se trouvail le comptoir commercial de François et Bérénice Chouteau, près d’où se trouve a présent le pont Chouteau. Plus loin, à l’est près de Brunswick, Missouri, était l’ancien emplacement du Fort Orléans établi au village de Missouri en 1723 pour le commerce avec Taos et Santa Fe par Etienne Véniard, seigneur de Bourgmont, protégé de Louis XIV et du Régent. Des montagnards français devenus guides des pistes visitèrent Westport au sud. Parmi eux était sans doute le fils de Sacajawea, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, habitant autrefois de “Chouteau”. A partir de la rue Wornall, l’ancienne piste française menait a Pappinville, Au fort abandonné de Corodelet et au comptoir d’échanges de Chouteau au sud dans le pays d’Osage.
 
Erected by Chouteau Society Francis Families Foundation. (Marker Number 1.)
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these
Old French Kansas City Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Thomas Onions, November 11, 2011
3. Old French Kansas City Marker
Area photo shooting to the west towards Bartle Hall.
topic lists: Forts and CastlesSettlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1821.
 
Location. 39° 5.933′ N, 94° 35.204′ W. Marker is in Kansas City, Missouri, in Jackson County. It is in Downtown Kansas City. Marker is on 13th Street, 0.1 miles east of Central Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Kansas City MO 64105, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Convention Center (a few steps from this marker); Kansas City Municipal Auditorium (within shouting distance of this marker); "Bronco Buster" (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Aladdin Hotel (about 400 feet away); Phoenix Society for Individual Freedom / North American Conference of Homophile Organizations (about 400 feet away); Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission (approx. 0.2 miles away); Reverend Bernard Donnelly (approx. 0.2 miles away); Chouteau’s Church (St. Francis Regis) (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Kansas City.
 
More about this marker. This marker is right across the street from Municipal Auditorium. Parking will be at a premium, especially during the week and during conventions.
 
Also see . . .
Old French Kansas City Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., August 24, 2015
4. Old French Kansas City Marker
Looking north across 13th Street, with marker at lower right of photo

1. The Chouteau Society markers. Jackson County Historical Society website entry (Submitted on December 31, 2011, by Thomas Onions of Olathe, Kansas.) 

2. Barney Allis Plaza. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on December 31, 2011, by Thomas Onions of Olathe, Kansas.) 

3. Kansas City Convention Bureau. Website homepage (Submitted on December 31, 2011, by Thomas Onions of Olathe, Kansas.) 

4. Jean Baptiste Charbonneau. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on December 31, 2011, by Thomas Onions of Olathe, Kansas.) 

5. Etienne De Veniard. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on December 31, 2011, by Thomas Onions of Olathe, Kansas.) 
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 10, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 31, 2011, by Thomas Onions of Olathe, Kansas. This page has been viewed 1,203 times since then and 26 times this year. Last updated on July 26, 2015, by Michael W. Kruse of Kansas City, Missouri. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on December 31, 2011, by Thomas Onions of Olathe, Kansas.   4. submitted on September 5, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 29, 2024