Edwards's Great West and her Commercial Metropolis, embracing a general view of the West, and a complete history of St. Louis ... With portraits and biographies of ... old settlers, etc

Front matter

H1ST0RT RECORDING ON TIME THE EVENTS OF THE NATIONS, PRESENTED TO nv VIEW ON LUCAS PLACE. ENGBAVtD EXl'Kl'.SSLY 1'OB THIS WOKK FROM A rHOTOGBAI-U BY BEOV.V. EDWARDS'S G-EEAT "WEST AND HER COMMERCIAL METROPOLIS, EMBRACING A GENERAL VIEW OF THE WEST, AND A COMPLETE HISTORY OF ST. LOUIS, FROM THE LANDING OF LIGUESTE, IN 1764, TO THE PRESENT TIME; WITH POETEA1TS AND BIOGP.APHIES OF SOME OF THE OLD SETTLERS, AND MANT OF THE MOST PROMINENT BUSINESS MEN. BY RICHARD EDWARDS AND M. HOPEWELL, .1 D. SPLENDIDLY ILLUSTRATED. ST. LOUIS: PUBLISHED AT THE OFFICE OF "EDWARDS'S MONTHLY," A JOURNAL OF PROGRESS. TEUBNER & CO., 25 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON, AGENTS FOR EUROPE. Copies will be sent to any part of* the United States (Free of Charge), on receipt of Five Dollars, sent to Richard Edwards, Box 1351, St. Louis, Mo.

Sold to Subscribers only, by appointed Agents. Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1860, by RICHARD EDWARDS, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Eastern District of MjssewsU^^ JEWISH SYNAGOGUE, BENAIEL. Located on the South-east corner of Sixth and Cerre streets. NOTICE TO AUTHORS, EDITORS, AND PUBLISHERS. The proprietor of this work having been at great expense and some years in collecting and preparing the information contained in this volume, which is entirely original, would respectfully remind all persons that the copyright has been regularly secured. To Booksellers and Dealers. — Any persons selling copies of a work which is an infringement of an existing copyright, are liable to a fine on each copy. Persons purchasing copies of a work which is an infringement of a copyright, are reminded that they are liable to prosecution. 0.

A. ALVORD, STEREOTYPER AND. PRINTER, NEW YORK. Ijidiffttiott. TO THE INHABITANTS OF ST. LOUIS, Clje <§rraf Ultiropolis of i\t (SEcsi, THIS BOOK IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, BY THE AUTHORS. Citizens of St. Loois, Greeting : It is the custom of most nations to have a Patron Saint for the purpose of protection and conciliation, and most books have some powerful Mæcenas to introduce them to the world under favorable auspices. To you we dedicate this book, and claim you as our Patrons. It is you who have developed the great resources of this Western Metropolis. It is you who have given it its fame, its wealth, and its business. You have given it reputation abroad, and prosperity at home. You have made it also famous for its hospitality, and the pilgrim and the stranger feel conscious when they enter the Mound City, that there are warm hearts and friendly hands to welcome them.

Preface

. In commencing this preface, the authors readily yield to the emotions which animate them. They are emotions of gratitude to those who, with a good heart and a desire for the complete success of this work, have imparted most essential information, and have furnished some of the chief materials that are woven in this history. To Madam Elizabeth Ortes, the only one now living who recollects the founder of St. Louis, Pierre Laclede Liguest, we are under lasting obligations. She is the only living record of the early time of this city, and on every occasion was happy to answer our inquiries, and furnish us, from the ample storehouse of a memory garnering in cidents for nearly a century, interesting narratives and anecdotes. To Madame Yament, James G-. Soulard, Dr. Robert Simpson, Henry Yon Phul, Jean Baptiste Hortez, some of them born in St. Louis, and all of them, with but one exception, past the threescore and ten years allotted to human existence, we likewise tender our thanks, for con tributing much that was necessary for our purpose; and to Nathaniel Paschall, Colonel Charles Keemle, Augustus Kerr, and others, whose names are legion, we cheerfully and gratefully acknowledge our in debtedness for invaluable facts.

It is now meet and proper, in giving this work to the public, to state the great difficulties which encompassed the undertaking. We do this, not to crave indulgence for imperfections, but to elicit a just and dispassionate examination with the light of surrounding circum stances. All that was known of the early history of St. Louis, previous to our undertaking, consisted in some few isolated facts and traditionary narratives, which, from time to time, had been published, and, if woven together, would have been meagre indeed — mere dis jointed fragments, and not a centime of the material required for an historical fabric. Some of these narratives were' also wrong in histor ical fact, and this coming to our knowledge, made us suspicious of the whole ; and it was only after a cautious examination of their authen ticity that we adopted any of them as history ; and, consequently, the few pioneer marks left by others have not assisted our search, or sub tracted from our labors.

It has been over three years since this work was conceived, and for the last eighteen months we have -been sedu lously and absorbingly employed in collecting the necessary information. All of the French and Spanish archives have been consulted in the original manuscript, for fear of errors creeping in the translated copies ; PRFFACE. the Livre Terrein,* aud other papers contained in the United States Recorder's office, carefully exfimined ; and private papers, which have been committed to our care by some of the old settlers, have been ex hausted of whatever was essential to our purpose. The records of the Catholic Church, which throw so much light upon the early history of St. Louis, were cheerfully submitted to our inspection by the Very Rev. Edmund Saulnier, the chancellor of the diocese of St. Louis, and from them we gathered most useful information.

We have sedu lously sought the acquaintance of the few that were left of the early inhabitants, and in the mass of information that has been acquired, have carefully weighed conflicting declarations, and have rejected all that wore an appearance of doubt and strong incredibility. Such have been the sources from which we have drawn our information in forming the portion of the work which comprises the early history of St. Louis ; and if it can lay claim to no other merit, it has that of relia bility. From 1808, the chief events of St. Louis were preserved from the oblivious influences of time by the establishment of a journal, now The Missouri Republican, and to its present proprietors we are under infinite obligations, for cheerfully consigning to our possession its files, that preserved in their columns so much of narrative inci dent which would otherwise have inevitably perished ; and our ryco gress from this date was much easier.

However, it was constantly necessary still to advise with those of the inhabitants who lived at the time, and had a perfect knowledge of concurrent events. As the city enlarged, the materials for history constantly increased, and we had to select those portions that were most fraught with interest and utility. It was impossible to embody all, and there may be some who would have been most interested in the rejected portions. For the disappointment of those we cannot justly be accountable, and hope we have alleged a sufficient explanation. The getting up of a work of this magnitude, and in such style, has been attended with an immense outlay of capital, all of which has been borne and risked, in this enterprise, by one of the authors ; nor has state or municipal aid been received or solicited.

We have been compelled to change the design of this work, con templated at its commencement. Then we intended to embrace in it the business of St. Louis. Had we done so, the history of St. Louis would have been but a meagre sketch, unworthy of the name of history ; for we could not have given to it more than one-third of its present space, as it would not do to make a book of this nature too voluminous ; and; from the same cause, so as to (rive a greater latitude to the history of St. Louis, we have omitted the sketch of the Mississippi Valley and the state of Missouri. However, at a near day, in a series of publications, we will embrace what was then omitted ; the " Gazetteer of the State" being in incipient progress. Had this volume been larger, it would have been out of taste and unattractive. * W. G. Hofstetter, of the United States Recorder's Office, assisted us much in guid ing our search in the old records with which he is so familiar.

PREFACE.

. The biographies, which make a portion of this work, are replete with interest, aud serve more fully to illustrate the history of our great metropolis — for they have for their subjects those who have become prominent in their respective spheres of life, and have materially served to develop the elements which have given to the city its business importance and honorable position. We will here give the names of many other prominent persons, whose biographies are not found in this work. They were all written to ; some declined, from too fastidious a delicacy, from appearing in the work, while the rest unfor tunately did not receive the letters addressed to them, and their miscar riage was not discovered until too late to rectify it. There were also some photographs and biographies received too late for insertion.

The names of these gentlemen are as follows, viz. : Hon. Daniel D. P.age, Hon. George Maguire, Hon. John M. Wimer, Hon. James G. Barry, Hon. John How, Hudson E. Bridge, Judge Peter Ferguson, Hon. Wayman Crow, Right Rev. Archbishop Kendrick, Rev. Dr. Elliot, James Clemens, Jr., William Renshaw, Sen., Asa Wilgus, AVilliam G. Pettus, Colonel Robert Campbell, James Harrison, William M. McPherson, Amadee Valle, Wilson Primm, Captain J. C. Swon, Daniel Hough, M. J. Swarmger, D. A. January, H. R, Gamble, Dr. J. N. McDowell, David Rankin, Judge R. J. Lackland, Judge Alexander Hamilton, D. R. Garrison, J. T. Dowdall, J. Finney, S. D. Barlow, Gabriel S. Chouteau, Francis Saler, John B. Carson, Dr. J. W. Hall, Rev. E. C. Hutchinson, John G. Priest, Henry Clay Hart, Captain Andrew Harper, Frederick Dings, Dr. Robert Simpson,* and some others.

In conclusion, we tender our heartfelt thanks to the journals of St. Louis. We thank them cordially for the many encomiums whilst in progress, and as we read their articles so flattering to our prospects, so fraught with predictions of certain success, we felt encouraged and sustained in our labors, and hurried up our lagging Pegasus, that their friendly and liberal promises to the public might, at all events, be measurably fulfilled. They wove the bay wreath for the book before it was finished, and before its merits had been tested. It now goes forth to the world under the htippiest auspices, and if it meet with disfavor, it must be because unworthy. Richard Edwards. M. Hopewell. It is but an act of duty and justice for me to say that this work was first commenced over three years ago by Mr. Richard Edwards, and all the pecuniary risk attending it is at his hazard.

M. Hopewell. * Dr. Robert Simpson is the oldest American citizen, who came earliest to St. Louis. He was the first to keep a drug-store. He has been assessor, sheriff, county court judfe and physician in the army, and there are none who held these offices before him now alive He is the oldest postmaster, has been connected with all the important phases in the early history of St. Louis, and we exceedingly regret that his biography is not in this work. LTNDELL HOUSE, ST. LOUIS.

Introduction

. It is necessary to preface the History of St. Louis by a few preliminary remarks, so that the reader mav have an intelligent conception of some things which, unexplained, would leave a doubtful impression upon his mind, and perhaps subject the authors to the imputations of neglect or error. The founder of St. Louis has always been known by the name of Laclede, and it is almost universally believed that it was his family name, when his full name was is Pierre Laclede Liguest. This error was a very natural one, as we shall proceed to explain, and it is most probable that all who landed at the contemplated trading post on the loth of February, with but few exceptions, believed that his surname was Laclede. At the time that a settlement was made upon the site of St. Louis, nearly the whole of the great Mis sissippi Valley was a wild, with the exception of the immediate neigh borhoods of New Orleans, Natchez, Fort de Chartres, St. Genevieve, Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and a few more military posts.

From the sparseness of the inhabitants in the villages and even in New Orleans, old Spanish tort. (Foot of Greene street.) the capital of the Province of Louisiana, there were no castes in society, and, with the exception of the commandants, and a few royal officers, there was a perfect equality among the others. They were almost all hunters and trappers, those being the leading pursuits at that period, and con sequently rough, ignorant, and characterized by a freedom of manner always incident to the Caucasian race, when free from the refining influ ences of education and society. Hence, in their intercourse with each other, they were known by the first, middle, or last names, as accident

INTRODUCTION.

. prompted. The first, or Christian name, was the most frequently used, as it is now among school-boys, and among the pioneers of civilization to this day. Probably some companion of Liguest, who had known him from his infancy under the appellation of Laclede, and accompanied him from France to New Orleans" called him by that name, which became henceforward his title among his new friends and followers. It has been said by some that it was the custom of the French at thai early day to transpose their names at pleasure, and, to confirm this decla ration, it is asserted that Louis St. Ange de Bellerive, the first com mandant of St. Louis, in all his signatures to the grants he made, signed himself St.- Ange. This is no support to the evidently erratic idea of such a custom prevailing. De Bellerive was evidently a titled name, and in his signatures he had a right exclusively to retain it, or link it with his first and family name, or even to drop it altogether.

His signatures show that he did the latter; he signing himself simply St. Ange, which was his patronymic. Some of them, having an honorable title appended to their family names, pursued an entirely contrary course. La Salle, whose untitled name was Robert Cavelier, always signed himself La Salle, dropping altogether his patronymic. But there is no instance on record where the titled name and family name are both dropped, and cither the first or middle name signed. From 'conclusive recorded facts, we must henceforth reject the name of Laclede as the family name of the founder of St. Louis, and adopt the proper one of Liguest. We will now proceed to give some of the instruments to which Liguest has affixed his signature. There is a deed No. 9 in the armory of the French and Spanish Archives, in which there is a conveyance of a house and lot by Liguest to Madame Chouteau, for the benefit of her children.

The grantor signs himself Laclede Liguest. The deed is dated May 12th, 1 i^S. There are two more deeds among these ancient records, num bering 38 and 39, in which his name is signed in the same manner — one a conveyance to Jacques Noise, alias Labbe, dated December 10th, 1768, and the other, No. 201, a conveyance to Ignace Laroche, dated May 15th, l^GS. In the Livre Terrein, Piernas confirms all the cessions of St. Ange de Bellerive, and among the other signatures to the instrument appears that of Liguest. We could give a dozen more instances ; in some of which he signs his name Pierre Laclede Liguest. In all of his signatures, he claims Liguest as his family name. CONTENTS _p__.:_*_t i,

Chapter I

A General View of the Great West. — Its Early History and Settlement. — Its General Resources and Curiosities 65

Part II

History of the St. Louis Press 163 _P___E_ T III.

CHAPTER I.

Laclede Liguest and his companions start from New Orleans, August, 1763, and arrive at St. Genevieve in November. — Leave St. Genevieve and - c«RlsfcHURcft ~ go to Fort do Chartres. — He makes a Voyage of © — ■ "j -o" *" Discovery to the Mouth of the Missouri. — Selects the spot for his Trading Post. — Settlement of St. Louis, February 15, 1764.

Visit of the Missouri Indians. — Treaty of 1763. — Secret Treaty between France and Spain. — Increase of St. Louis. — Early Habits of the Settlers — Rage of the people when informed of the secret treaty. — Arrival of Louis St. Ange de Bellerive at St. Louis. — Granting of land. — Popularity of the commandant. — The attachment of the Indians to the French — Their hatred of the English. — Laying out of St. Louis. — Its ex tent in 1764 and 1780. — Its appearance before any buildings were erected. — Style of Dwellings. — Names of principal inhabitants. — Grant made to Liguest of the land on which he first commenced to build. — Grant of land on La Petite Riviere. — Mills built thereon. — First Mortgage. — First Marriage. — Land reserved for Church. — First Baptism — The place for a Public Square. — Unfavorable news from New Orleans. — The arrival of Rios. — The determination of the inhabitants to resist Spanish authority. — Rios leaves St. Louis when the news reaches him that the Spanish commandant was driven from New Orleans. — Joy of the in habitants. — The Common Fields. — Their Regulations. — Names of Common Fields. — Arrival of Pontiac. — His Appearance. — His Fame. — His visit to Cahokia. — His Assassination. — His Burial in St. Louis. — Extermination of the Illinois Indians. — The arrival of O'Reilly in New Orleans. — His reception by the people. — Five of the inhabitants are executed, and six sent to the dungeons in Cuba. — The first Church is built in St. Louis. — Its Consecration by Father Gibault. — Arrival of Piernas in St. Louis. — He takes possession of the town. — French Domination ceases in Louisiana 238

Chapter II

Pedro Piernas. — His Policy. — His Character. — His Popularity. — Death of St. Ange de Bellerive. — His Character. — His Will. — Piernas is threatened with Assassination by an Osage chief. — Cruzat becomes Lieutenant-Governor. — The American Revolution. — The hatred of the Spaniards to the English. — Smuggled Goods. — Ferry across the Maramec. — Character of Cruzat. — Don Fernando de Leyba.- - CONTENTS. 60 260 Death of Pierre Laclede Liguest.— His Appearance.— His Character.— Feai of the Indians.— Attack on St. Louis.— L'annee dm Coup.- Death of Don Fernando de Levba.— Succeeded by Cartabona.— Arrival of Cruzat.— Flood of the Missis sippi.—The Pirates of Grand Tower.— Pirates of Cottonwood Creek.— Lannee des dixbatteatix.— The danger from Indians —Pain Court— Administration ot Perez —Trudeau and Delassus.— Large Grants.— Fever of Speculation.—Aapo leon Bonaparte.— Cession of the Province of Louisiana to France.— i ranee bells it to the United States.— End of Spanish Domination

Chapter III

French Grants.— Spanish Grants.— Partiality for the Lands containing lead ore, or where Salines could be found.— The danger from Indians in working the Mines and Salines.— The probability of many fraudulent claims.— Number of Houses in St. Louis at the time of the transfer of the Province of Louisiana to the United States.— How the Houses were built.— Description of the principal Houses and Public Buildings in the Village in 1804.— Baptism of Half-breeds and an Indian Child.— Morals of the Men and Women.— The mode of determining Disputes.— The Customs, Habits, and Pleasures of the Inhabitants. — Names of the chief Merchants, Traders, and Tradesmen at the time of the Cession to the United States.— The locality of the Residences of the principal Inhabitants. — Prices of Goods. — Monsieur Tardiff and Cevreuil 2S0

Chapter IV

St. Louis under the United States Government.— Major Stoddard. — General Wilkinson. — Lieutenant Pike. — Lewis and Clarke. — The Increase of Population of the Town.— the Establishment of a Post-Office. — The Missouri Gazette. — The Trial of Indian Murderers. — The Delaware and Shawnee Indians near Cape Girardeau. — The first Man hung in St. Louis.— Death of Governor Meriwether Lewis. — Government of St. Louis. — -Singular Ordinances — The Mails. — The Population and Business of the City. — Curious Advertisements. — The Old Market built. — Louisiana Territory changed to Missouri Territory — The Missouri Fur Company. — The manner of the organization of Fur Companies. — Anecdotes related by a Trader.— Trouble with the Indians in 1812 from British instigation. — Influence of General Clarke over them. — A Travelling Magician. — Bank of St. Louis. — Bank of Missouri. — St. Louis Prices Current. — Expenditure of St. Louis. — Formation of the Missouri Bible Society 291

Chapter V

Duel between Thomas C. Rector and Joshua Barton. — The latter Killed. — Fur Companies. — Battle with the Indians. — Disastrous Defeat of the Whites. — Frederick Bates elected Governor. — Visit of Lafayette. — Route Surveyed to New Mexico. — Consecration of the First Presbyterian Church — General Miller elected Governor. — Arsenal built. — Streets named— Stampede from the Jail. — Market built.— Benevolent Societies. — Branch Bank of the United States. — Improvements and changes in St. Louis. — Impeachment of Judge Peck. — Population in 1831. — Fatal Duel. — Black Hawk War. — Love of the Inhabitants of St. Louis for Politics. — Conduct of the People at the news of the Veto to the Recharteriug of the United States Bank. — The Cholera. — Trial of Judge Carr. — Judge Merry elected Mayor. — His Election declared Unconstitutional.— Building of a Hospital for the Sisters of Charity. — Sale of the City Commons. — Gamblers. — Internal Improvement Convention. — Burning of a Negro Murderer 332

Chapter VI

St. Louis in 1837. — Act to Incorporate the Bank of the State of Missouri. — Its Commissioners. — Its first Directors. — The Bar vs. the Bench. — Daniel Webster and family visit St. Louis. — Their Reception. — Speech of Webster. — The great Financial Crisis of 1837. — Suspension of the Bank of the State of Missouri. — CONTENTS. 61 378 305 Ruin of Business. — Death of David Barton. — Murder of Thomas M. Dougherty. — Whig Vigilance Committee. — Death of General William Clark. — Kemper College built. — Meeting of the principal Mechanics. — Establishment of a Criminal Court. — Building of Christ Church — Incorporation of the St. Louis Hotel Company, who built the Planters' House. — Morns Mullicaulis fever. — Missouri Silk Company Incorporated — Extent of St. Louis. — Incorporation of a Gas-Light Company. — Boundary Question between Missouri and Iowa. — Diffi culty with Illinois concerning removal of a Sand-bar. — Laying Corner-stoue of an addition to Court-house. — Bank of the State of Missouri throws out all the n-ites of the Banks not paying specie. — Distress in Business. — Corner-stone of St. Louis College laid. — Proprietor of the Argus beaten. — Dies. — Trial of Wil liam P. Darnes. — Number of Insurance Offices in St. Louis. — Murder, Fire, and Arson. — The Discover}' of the Murderers. — Their Trial and Conviction.— Their Attempt to Escape. — Their Execution. — Synopsis. of the Business Statistics of S'. Louis 358

Chapter VII

Laying of the Corner-stone of the Centenary Church. — Death of General Atkinson. — Of Judge Lucas. — Opening of the Glascow House. — Execution on Duncan's Island. — Arrival of Audubon at St. Louis. — Arrival of Richard M. Johnson, of Kentucky. — Death of Major John Pilcher. — Death of Judge Engle. — Arrival of Macready — His Dramatic Popularity. — Forrest. — Hackett. — Arrival of Professor Silliman. — Of Josiah Quincy, jr. — Briskness of Trade in St. Louis. — Unparalleled Rise in the Mississippi. — The Waters Overflow the Levee, and fill the first stories of the Buildings. — Consternation of the Inhabitants. — Reports from the Illinois and Missouri Rivers. — More than five hundred destitute families quartered in the City. — Philanthropy of the Citizens. — The Three Great Floods. — Buildings put up iu 1844 — Death of Colonel Sublette. — Constitution Revised. — Mercantile Library. — Death of Mrs. Biddle. — Her Monument. — Her Charities. — Harbor Obstructions. — War with Mexico. — Great Excitement — St. Louis Legion. — Patriotic feeling and actions of the Citizens. — Consecration of Odd Fellows' Hall— Pork-Packing ■