| Louis Blanchette | | | | town, San Carlos, was anglicized to become St. |
| Louis Blanchette was a Frenchman who travelled to | | | | Charles. |
| the Americas, it is said, for adventure. According to | | | | Lewis and Clark |
| Hopewell's Legends of the Missouri and Mississippi: | | | | William Clark arrived in St. Charles on May 16, 1804. |
| In the year 1765, a Frenchman, called Blanchette | | | | With him were 40 men and three boats; there they |
| Chasseur, animated by that love of adventure which | | | | made final preparations, as they waited for Meriwether |
| characterizes all who have lived a roving and restless | | | | Lewis to arrive from St. Louis. They attended dances, |
| life, ascended the Missouri, with a few followers, for | | | | dinners, and a church service during this time, and the |
| the purpose of forming a settlement in the then | | | | excited town was very hospitable to the explorers. |
| remote wilderness. | | | | Lewis arrived via St. Charles Rock Road on May 20, |
| According to Hopewell's rather romantic account, | | | | and the expedition launched the next day in a keelboat |
| Blanchette met another Frenchman (Bernard Guillet) at | | | | at 3:30 pm. St. Charles was the last established |
| the site of St. Charles in 1765. Blanchette, determined | | | | American town they would visit for more than two |
| to settle at the site, asked if Guillet, who had become | | | | and a half years. |
| the chief of a Dakota tribe, had chosen a name for it. | | | | State Capital |
| "I called the place 'Les Petites Cotes' " replied Bernard, | | | | When Missouri was granted statehood in 1821, a |
| "from the sides of the hills that you see." | | | | decision was made to build a "City of Jefferson" to |
| "By that name shall it be called," said Blanchette | | | | serve as the state capital, in the center of the state, |
| Chasseur, "for it is the echo of nature — | | | | overlooking the Missouri River. Since this land was |
| beautiful from its simplicity." | | | | undeveloped at the time, a temporary capital was |
| Blanchette settled there in 1769 under the authority of | | | | needed. St. Charles beat eight other cities in a |
| the Spanish governor of Upper Louisiana, and served | | | | competition to house the temporary capitol, offering |
| as its civil and military leader until his death in 1793. | | | | free meeting space for the legislature in rooms located |
| During this time perhaps only a couple dozen buildings | | | | above a hardware store. This building still stands today |
| were built. Although the settlement was under Spanish | | | | and may be toured. The Missouri government |
| jurisdiction, the settlers themselves remained primarily | | | | continued to meet there until Jefferson City was ready |
| French nationals. | | | | in 1826. |
| San Carlos | | | | German Immigration |
| The first church, built in 1791, was dedicated to San | | | | Gottfried Duden was a German who visited in the |
| Carlos Borromeo, and the town became known as | | | | area in 1824. Travelling under the guidance of Daniel M. |
| San Carlos del Misuri: "St. Charles of the Missouri". This | | | | Boone, he wrote extensive accounts of life in St. |
| church was destroyed by a tornado in 1916. | | | | Charles County during his year there. These he |
| Daniel Boone | | | | published upon his return to Germany in 1829, and his |
| The first American-born Europeans to settle in the | | | | favorable impressions of the area led to the |
| region were Daniel Boone and his family. The Spanish | | | | immigration of a number of Germans in 1833. The first |
| Lieutenant-Governor Carlos de Hault de Lassus | | | | permanent German settler in the region was probably |
| appointed him commandant of the Femme Osage | | | | Louis Eversman, who arrived with Duden but decided |
| District, which he served until the United States | | | | to stay. |
| government assumed control in 1804. The name of the | | | | |