STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. — This may seem like any other quiet little river town, but its past could fill a history book — and a fascinating one at that. And the history isn’t dead.
About 60 miles south of St. Louis on the Great River Road and 360 miles southwest of Chicago, Ste. Genevieve is a charming, slow-paced reminder of the French presence in America during the 18th century.
Missouri’s first permanent European settlement, Ste. Genevieve was settled in the late 1740s by descendants of French Canadians who fled British control and followed the Mississippi River Valley routes of Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet south to French-controlled Illinois Country. The site they chose offered expansive river bottomland, which provided rich soil along with sources of furs, lead and salt. Here, farmers, fur traders and miners built a farming town that they named for the patron saint of Paris. French language, culture and faith thrived, and within a generation the town was prospering as the breadbasket of the territory.
In 1762, Ste. Genevieve fell under Spanish control when the French ceded their rights to land west of the Mississippi to Spain, until they regained the territory in 1800. Many of the town’s lasting structures were built during this era. Called “French Creole colonial” buildings, they are large central structures supported by vertical log posts and surrounded with deep porches designed to catch cooling breezes and provide extra storage.
Soon after 1803, when the Louisiana Purchase ceded lands west of the Mississippi to the United States, Ste. Genevieve became the “most wealthy village in Louisiana,” according to Frederick Bates, secretary of the Louisiana Territory.
In the 19th century, English and German immigrants made their way to the area, bringing trade and shopkeeping and adding distinctive red-brick homes and shops to the townscape.
Today, Ste. Genevieve, population 4,400, claims 150 pre-1825 structures, the largest collection of French colonial buildings in the U.S. The town is part of the French Colonial District, which includes Fort de Chartres, once the area’s capital, and Prairie du Rocher and Cahokia, two other old French settlements across the river in Illinois.
Over the years, the Mississippi has played havoc with Ste. Genevieve. In 1785, devastating floods forced the townsfolk to move from the riverbanks to higher ground inland, its present location. Even so, the town’s historic district was inundated by 15 feet of water during the “500-year flood” of 1993. Today a 25-foot-high, 31/2-mile-long levee completed in 2001 separates the atmospheric old town from the Mississippi.
Besides touring the town’s historic buildings. you can browse Market, Merchant and Third streets for antiques and local art, or you can golf, hike, bike and tour wineries. You can cross the Mississippi by ferry and explore more of the French Colonial District in Illinois.
Don’t expect Ste. Genevieve to look like Colonial Williamsburg or a classic 18th century French village. The town has a simpler but no less interesting Midwestern ambience.
For starters, visit the Ste. Genevieve Tourist Office (800-373-7007, stegenevieve.org) at Main and Market streets for local information.
Then stroll along Main Street and get a sense of Ste. Genevieve’s history by touring three treasured buildings that make up the Bolduc House Museum: the Bolduc House, the LeMeilleur House and the Linden House. (573-883-3105, bolduchouse.com)
The Bolduc House at 125 S. Main, a National Historic Landmark built in 1785, is noted for its hand-hewn vertical log (poteaux-sur-solle) construction with a cedar shake, hipped roof.
Inside are 18th century French colonial artifacts and furniture, some pieces said to have been owned by Louis Bolduc, a miner, merchant and farmer who was the town’s richest man. The LeMeilleur House, built in 1820, later served as a convent school and a blacksmith’s shop, but it, like the other homes, has been restored. Linden House, also built in 1820, now serves as the museum’s office, shop and library. Charming Bolduc Gardens, inside the LeMeilleur gate, has a few apple trees, a chestnut tree, a grape arbor and a French herb and vegetable garden. Museum admission: $5 for adults, $2 for students.
Among the other historic buildings: Bauvais-Amoureux House (1792), with upright cedar log walls; Felix Valle House (1818) State Historic Site, a Federal-style limestone structure and the Jacques Guibourd House (1806), another vertical log residence. The town’s Memorial Cemetery was established in 1787. Ste. Genevieve Catholic Church, built on the site of the original, celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2009.
What else to see, do
Kaskaskia Bell on Kaskaskia Island: It’s in the only Illinois community west of the Mississippi and accessible only through Missouri. Known as the Liberty Bell of the West, it was cast in France in 1741, a gift from King Louis XV to the Mission of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. The bell, cracked during the 1993 flood, is housed in a tiny brick building next to the church. (state.il.us/hpa/hs/fort_kaskaskia.htm)
Wineries: French and German settlers brought winemaking to this temperate region. Today about a half-dozen wineries produce a variety of local specialties (missouriwinecountry.com/southeast). Sainte Genevieve Winery, 245 Merchant St., is a convenient place for a tasting or having a picnic in the shade of a grape arbor. Chaumette Vineyards, about 20 miles out of town, is a boutique winery with elegant extras: 26 one-bedroom villas ($200-$225 per night in summer); a spa, pool, fitness center and the Grapevine Grill restaurant for fine dining. (573-747-1000, chaumette.com)
Parks: For outdoor recreation, your choices include the rolling wilderness of Hawn State Park with its cooling River Aux Vases and Pickle Creek, hiking trails and picnic areas; Magnolia Hollow State Park, with steep bluffs and expansive scenic river views; and Pickle Springs Natural Area, with sandstone geological shapes.
The Modoc Ferry (locally called the French Connection): It shuttles vehicles between Ste. Genevieve and Modoc, Ill. One-way crossing for an auto or van is $10 (573-547-8357). It’s a 15-mile drive to Fort de Chartres Historic Site (618-284-7230, ftdechartres.com), offering an impressive French colonial experience within the partially rebuilt 18th century stone and wood fort.
If you go
Where to eat
You won’t starve in the historic district, nor will you feel you’re dining in Paris or Chicago. And you won’t go broke. A few options: Restaurant St. Gemme Beauvais, a white-tablecloth place with its most expensive entree at $20; Anvil Saloon, operating since 1855; Old Brick House, noted for its fried chicken.
Where to stay
Best option is a B&B in the historic district. Top ones are Dr. Hertich’s House (he was one of the town’s first physicians), with prices between $89 and $189. Inn St. Gemme Beauvais rates are $99 to $189. Both use 800-818-5744 for reservations. If you want something more modest, Microtel Inn & Suites has rooms starting at $69 a night. 888-771-7171.
Extending your stay
If you need a city fix, drive north to St. Louis, with its soaring Gateway Arch, terrific museums, interesting neighborhoods and restaurants, and, of course, the Cardinals (800-916-8938, explorestlouis.com).
