MISSOURI - When exploring the colonial roots of the Show-Me State, the timeline leads south of St. Louis to the banks of the Mississippi River. Ste. Genevieve, established around 1735, holds the undisputed title of the oldest permanent European settlement in Missouri.
The Founding: c. 1735
Ste. Genevieve’s origins are agricultural rather than military. It was born as a satellite community of the French settlements in "Illinois Country" (on the east bank of the river).
- The Big Field: French-Canadian farmers ("habitants") crossed the Mississippi from Kaskaskia to cultivate the rich soil of the west bank. They established Le Grand Champ (The Big Field), a massive communal agricultural tract that is still farmed today.
- Vertical Log Houses: Settlers introduced a distinct architectural style known as poteaux-en-terre (posts-in-ground), in which vertical logs were set directly into the earth. Ste. Genevieve contains the largest collection of this rare French Creole architecture in North America.
Indigenous Roots
Long before the French farmers arrived, the region was the domain of the Osage and Missouria peoples, as well as the Illinois Confederacy (Peoria). The Osage were the dominant power in the region. The French settlers maintained a precarious but profitable relationship with them. Ste. Genevieve survived largely because it served as a trading outlet where the Osage could exchange furs and horses for European goods. The town was not a fort, but a village, relying on diplomacy rather than walls for survival.
A Technical Distinction: The Great Flood of 1785
While Ste. Genevieve is the oldest community, the physical location has shifted slightly.
- Old Ste. Genevieve: The original village was located directly on the river flood plain.
- The Move: In 1785, a massive flood (known in local lore as L'année des Grandes Eaux or "The Year of the Great Waters") devastated the town. The residents dismantled their log homes and moved them roughly three miles inland to higher ground—the present-day site of the city. Because the community moved en masse and retained its identity, it keeps the title of the oldest settlement.
Settlement vs. St. Louis
A common misconception is that St. Louis is the oldest city.
- St. Louis (1764): Pierre Laclède and Auguste Chouteau founded St. Louis nearly 30 years after Ste. Genevieve was established.
- The Difference: St. Louis was founded specifically as a fur-trading post and quickly grew into a commercial hub and the "Gateway to the West." Ste. Genevieve remained an agricultural village. However, in chronological order, Ste. Genevieve is the elder sibling.
Ste Genevieve is the oldest city in Missouri, settled around 1735 by French farmers from the Illinois Country. It is famous for its unique French colonial architecture and "The Big Field" agricultural system. Although the town was moved inland following the Great Flood of 1785, it predates the founding of St. Louis (1764) by nearly three decades.
Sources
- Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park (NPS). "History & Culture."
- Missouri State Parks. "Ste. Genevieve History."
- Encyclopedia of the Midwest. "French Colonial Settlements."
- State Historical Society of Missouri. "Ste. Genevieve."
- The Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Genevieve. "Architecture."