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ST CHARLES, MISSOURI - USA
St. Charles is a city located in St. Charles County, Missouri. It lies just
to the northwest of St. Louis, Missouri, on the Missouri River, and played
for a time a significant role in the United States' westward expansion. It
is the second oldest city west of the Mississippi, founded in 1765 as Les
Petites Cotes, "The Little Hills", by Louis Blanchette, a French Canadian
fur trader and was the last civilized stop for the Lewis and Clark
Expedition. The city served as the first Missouri capital, from 1821 to
1826. It is the site for the Saint Rose Duschesne shrine.
Recreation
St. Charles lies at one end of the Katy Trail, a 225 mile long state park
enjoyed by bikers and walkers. There is a historic shopping district and
riverboat gambling.
History
Louis Blanchette
Louis Blanchette was a Frenchman who travelled to the Americas, it is said,
for adventure. According to Hopewell's Legends of the Missouri and
Mississippi:
In the year 1765, a Frenchman, called Blanchette Chasseur, animated by that
love of adventure which characterizes all who have lived a roving and
restless life, ascended the Missouri, with a few followers, for the purpose
of forming a settlement in the then remote wilderness.
He was one of those who encountered perils and endured privations, not from
necessity, but from choice; for he had been born to affluence, and had every
indulgence consistent with wealth and station, but from a boy had spurned,
with Spartan prejudice, every effeminate trait, and had accomplished himself
in every hardy and manly exercise. When he had attained his majority, he
sailed for America, then the El Dorado of all the visionary, roving and
restless spirits of the age.
According to Hopewell's rather romantic account, Blanchette met another
Frenchman (Bernard Guillet) at the site of St. Charles in 1765, who had
become the chief of a Dakota tribe. Blanchette, determined to settle at the
site, asked if Guillet had chosen a name for it.
"I called the place 'Les Petites Cotes' " replied Bernard, "from the sides
of the hills that you see."
"By that name shall it be called," said Blanchette Chasseur, "for it is the
echo of nature -- beautiful from its simplicity."
Blanchette settled there in 1769 under the authority of the Spanish governor
of Upper Louisiana, and served as its civil and military leader until his
death in 1793. During this time perhaps only a couple dozen buildings were
built. Although the settlement was under Spanish jurisdiction, the settlers
themselves remained primarily French nationals.
San Carlos
The first church, built in 1791, was dedicated to San Carlos Borromeo, and
the town became known as San Carlos del Misuri: "St. Charles of the
Missouri". This church was destroyed by a tornado in 1916.
Daniel Boone
The first American-born Europeans to settle in the region were Daniel Boone
and his family. The Spanish Lieutenant-Governor Delassus appointed him
commandant of the Femme Osage District, which he served until the United
States government assumed control in 1804. The name of the town, San Carlos,
was anglicized to become St. Charles.
Lewis and Clark
William Clark arrived in St. Charles on May 16, 1804. With him were 40 men
and three boats; there they made final preparations, as they waited for
Meriwether Lewis to arrive from St. Louis. They attended dances, dinners,
and a church service during this time, and the excited town was very
hospitable to the explorers.
Lewis arrived on May 20, and the expedition launched the next day in a
keelboat at 3:30 pm. St. Charles was the last established American town they
would visit for more than two and a half years.
State Capital
When Missouri was granted statehood in 1821, a decision was made to build a
"City of Jefferson" to serve as the state capital, in the center of the
state, overlooking the Missouri River. Since this land was undeveloped at
the time, a temporary capital was needed. St. Charles beat eight other
cities in a competition to house the temporary capitol, offering free
meeting space for the legislature. The Missouri government continued to meet
there until Jefferson City was ready in 1826.
German Immigration
Gottfried Duden was a German who visited in the area in 1824. Travelling
under the guidance of Daniel M. Boone, he wrote extensive accounts of life
in St. Charles County during his year there. These he published upon his
return to Germany in 1829, and his favorable impressions of the area led to
the immigration of a number of Germans in 1833. The first permanent German
settler in the region was probably Louis Eversman, who arrived with Duden
but decided to stay.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of
54.0 km˛ (20.8 mi˛). 52.7 km˛ (20.4 mi˛) of it is land and 1.2 km˛ (0.5 mi˛)
of it is water. The total area is 2.30% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 60,321 people, 24,210 households, and
15,324 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,143.9/km˛
(2,962.4/mi˛). There are 25,283 housing units at an average density of 479.5
persons/km˛ (1,241.6 persons/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city is 93.28%
White, 3.48% African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.01% Asian, 0.04%
Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races, and 1.19% from two or more races.
1.97% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 24,210 households out of which 30.1% have children under the age
of 18 living with them, 49.4% are married couples living together, 10.2%
have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 36.7% are non-families.
29.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.1% have someone
living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is
2.38 and the average family size is 2.98.
In the city the population is spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18,
12.0% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who
are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100
females there are 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there
are 93.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $47,782, and the median
income for a family is $60,175. Males have a median income of $40,827 versus
$27,778 for females. The per capita income for the city is $23,607. 6.3% of
the population and 4.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the
total people living in poverty, 8.1% are under the age of 18 and 5.9% are 65
or older.
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