USA > Missouri > A history of Missouri from the earliest explorations and settlements until the admission of the state into the union, Volume II > Part 4
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19
ULLOA'S INSTRUCTIONS
had been royal attorney and notary. One Pierre Peri dit St. Pierre at that time was public scrivener.
From the instructions of Ulloa, as well as original complaints preserved in the archives at St. Louis, it also appears that St. Ange during the presence of Rui was not superseded; 44 on the contrary, when dissensions arose among the Spaniards at the fort on the Missouri he even took cognizance of complaints against and acted for the Spanish officers. Thus Labusciere in a judicial paper, dated August, 1768, states that he is acting "as judge and deputy of the Commander of Louisiana and proxy of the King's Attorney Gen- eral of Illinois," and as such entertained a complaint of the Spanish officer "Joseph Barelas," (may be Varelas) cadet engineer of the Garrison of "Fort Charles" against another Spanish officer "Don Fernando de Gomez, Lieutenant Commandant of the Fort."
Ulloa, in the instruction he gave Captain Rui, seemed primarily to contemplate the formation of a new settlement north of the Missouri, of which Rui was to be chief, not interfering with the existing settle- ment of "the Illinois" south of the Missouri. From the fact that Rui did not interfere in the litigation brought before St. Ange against his soldiers and officers, it may be supposed, also, that he construed his instructions to mean that he had no authority to question or interfere with the jurisdiction of St. Ange. Again, in 1769, Ulloa ordered the fort "El Principe de Asturias" to be evacuated and delivered to Captain St. Ange. From all this it is clearly manifest that he was fully
. recognized as the supreme civil and military commandant by the Spanish authorities of the Illinois country west of the Mississippi for some time after the Treaty of Fontainebleau.
Louis and Francois. All the early documents in the archives, except the first fifteen written by Lefebvre, are in the handwriting of Labusciere. Was a resi- dent of St. Louis for twenty-five years, connected officially with the government at first, afterwards legal adviser and attorney of the people, and prepared their legal papers; a person of consequence, useful and valuable to the village. During the time that St. Ange administered the government, he was custodian of the archives; countersigned land grants, and when Governor Piernas appeared to take possession of the country, duly delivered the archives. Between April 20, 1766, and May 20, 1770, prepared, according to Billon, one hundred and forty- four papers of various kinds, which were then transferred. (Scharff's History of St. Louis, p. 72, et seq., note 2.) In the case of Hill et al., vs. Wright, 3 Mo. Rep., p. 136, no doubt on full investigation it is admitted that Labusciere in 1782 or 1783 moved from St. Louis to Cahokia, Illinois, and that he died there April 29, 1792. His notarial record he carried across the river, and it is now in Belleville, Illinois, according to Alvord in his "Old Kaskaskia Records," An Address, p. 42. Also see note 15, page 340, vol. I.
" Pittman says, that he was "forbid to interfere with the civil government of their settlements in the Illinois country, where Mons. De Saint Ange contin- ues to command." (Pittman's Mississippi Settlements, p. 16.)
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20
HISTORY OF MISSOURI
The oldest document recorded in the archives of St. Louis relates to a sale of a lot made by Jacques Denis, a joiner, to Antoine Hu- bert, a trader, and is dated January 21, 1766, apparently for a lot assigned to Denis by Laclede, because it was not until in April follow- ing grants of land were made by St. Ange, countersigned by Lefebvre, and after his death by Labusciere. These grants of St. Ange were all duly recorded in the Livre Terrien, or Land Book, which was com- menced as soon as he began to make grants of lots and lands. The first grant of St. Ange was made to Joseph Labusciere, the notary, of a lot in St. Louis, fronting three hundred feet on Rue Royal (now Main street) by one hundred and fifty feet in depth to the river. The system of land grants pursued by St. Ange was very simple. The concession merely stated the name of the applicant, the date and description of the property ceded, and concluded "under the condi- tion of settling it within one year and a day, and that the same shall remain liable to the public charges," duly signed "St. Ange," and by "Labusciere." St. Ange granted eighty-one lots45 from April 27,
" These grantees not already mentioned, and other early settlers comprise the following list: In 1765, Jean Ortes or Jean Baptiste Ortes, a carpenter, and Jean Cambas, who seem to have had a grant in partnership; Gilles Cernin or Chemin; Constantine Philippe De Quirigoust, died in 1769 or 1770; Jacques Chauvin, an officer in the French service, from Fort de Chartres, lived in St. Louis about thirty-five years, when he received a large concession from DeLas- sus on the Missouri, opposite St. Charles, and died there in 1826, aged eighty- three years, was probably a son of Joseph Chauvin, dit Charleville, of Kaskaskia, and who died there in about 1783-84, according to Billon. These Chauvins are perhaps related to the Chauvins, dit Lafreniere, mentioned by Gayarre (History of Louisiana, French Domination, p. 187) and so distinguished in the annals of lower Louisiana, came into the Mississippi valley with Bienville. The wife of Gilles Chauvin of Detroit was his cousin, and he may be the ancestor of Jacques, as these Chauvins all seem related. Gervais raised tobacco on part of his lot; Louis Reed, his son Laurent testifies, was born in St. Louis about 1763, evidently meaning 1764-65, a wooden block house or bastion was on Louis Reed's lot, so testified François Duchouquette who lived here at this time; Louis Bouré, dit Grand Loui, rope maker, raised peaches and plums on his lot prior to 1800; Jacob La Sabloniere, in 1793 went to Prairie du Rocher, his daughter married Titus LeBerge, a Jacques Brunel La Sabloniere also lived in St. Louis; Guillaume Hebert, dit Lecompte, had a stone quarry in St. Louis in 1799, and Chouteau testified he got stone from him in that year, paying him five sous per load, lived also at St. Ferdinand; Jacques Egliz, on River des Pères; Antoine Flondrain (or Flandrin), died in 1822; Susan Jeannette, a colored woman. In 1766, Sieur Devin; Joseph Dubé; Louis Marcheteau, dit DesNoyers, married Veronica Panisse; Jean Marie Thoulouze; Jean Prevot (or Prevost) ; a Nicolas Proveau (or Proveaux) was an "habitan de Concession les des Mines" in 1746 - perhaps the same family. Louis Chauvet Dubreuil, a merch- ant, and in 1790 at St. Ferdinand; in 1799 a Louis Dubreuil had a grant on Cuivre in St. Charles district; Antoine Hebert, dit Lecompte, a merchant; Thomas Blondeau (also spelled Blondain); Jacques Lacroix, in 1791 in the New Madrid district; Jean Baptiste Jacquemin; Jean Baptiste Butaud, dit Brindamour; François La Chapelle; Alexis Marie; Louis Merlet Desloriers, a merchant; Philibert Gagnon, dit Laurent, soldier, also find
2I
PIERNAS
1766, to February 7, 1770, when Don Pedro Piernas, "a captain of infantry," the first Spanish lieutenant-governor, assumed the govern-
a Laurent Lerouge (or Rouge), dit Gagnon, in St. Louis; and may be the same person; Pierre Lacroix, married Helen l'Arche in 1767; Nicolas Hebert, dit Lecompte; Jacques Noise, dit Labbe (or L'Abbe), and was known as Pierre Noise; Ignace Herbert; Joseph Marcheteau, dit DesNoyers; Alexis Loise; Jean B. Hamelin; François Larche or L'Arche, a Paul L'Arche, "Maitre Cordon- nier" at "Fort Nouvelle de Chartres de l'Illinois" in parish St. Anne, in 1748- no doubt related to him; Jean B. Bidet, dit Langoumois; Mich- ael Audilier; Barthèlemi Blondeau; Pierre Rougeau Berger, married Theresa Hebert; François Laville, dit St. Germain; Louis Desfonds; Louis Robert, or Robar, at Glaize à Bequette in 1785; Charles Parent; Ignace Laroche; Louis Laroche, from Kaskaskia, afterwards in 1797 lived at St. Ferdinand; Isadore Peltier, slave owner, also at Ste. Genevieve; Charles Peltier, also lived at St. Ferdinand; Antoine Peltier, dit Morin, from Kaskaskia, owned four slaves, and in 1796 on the Mississippi and at Petite Gingras; in 1767, Joseph Pouillot, a trader ; Louis Lambert, dit Lafleur, was afterward agent for Joseph Robidoux, and culti- vated land for him at St. Ferdinand in 1794, but a Jean Louis Lambert, dit Lafleur, was a prominent merchant in Ste. Genevieve in 1766, died 1771; Pierre Fouché, merchant; Claude Tinon, in 1771 was a cultivator of the common-field of Carondelet; Antoine Donnay St. Vincent, may be the Antonio Venzan - a corporal in the Ist militia company in 1780; Nicolas Barsaloux, married Made- laine Leberge; Francois Moreau, married Catherine Marechal this year, and Jo- seph Gamache married Charlotte Louviere; Jean B. Langevin; Michel Pichet; Jean B. Vien, dit Noel, a billiard-table keeper, which he leased for three years to Louis Vigo in 1770, Vien was a son-in-law of Joseph Vachard; Joseph Franch- ville; Bareras or Barelas, was the first bankrupt trader who absconded, his effects being seized. In this year we note that Laclede made a contract with one John Hamilton, no doubt an Englishman, and one of the first west of the Mississippi. Joseph Picote de Belestre possibly Picote de Belestre; Joseph Leroy; Joseph Dubord; Placy, Duplacy or Placet, likely Jean Baptiste who also lived at Ste. Genevieve, a Kaskaskia family, where we find Dupay, Placie and others; Pierre Dagobert, a merchant in Ste. Genevieve, and interested in lead mining there, but seems also to have been engaged in business in St. Louis; François Cailloux, dit Cayon, testifies he was born in 1766 and came to St. Louis in 1767, in 1800 he had a grant on 1,600 arpens on the river Matis; Eustache and Louis Cailloux (or Caillou) brothers, and Pedro Caillou, all may be of same family, and related to Cailloux (or Calliot), dit Lachance, of Ste. Genevieve district; Pierre Cailloux moved from Kaskaskia to St. Louis about 1780. In 1768, Louis Beor (or Bour or Bourè) may be "Grand Loui;" Guillaume Bizet (Bissette) also at Cul de Sac of Big Prairie, his widow married Jean Bap- tiste Provenchère; François Thibault, a carpenter, and Charles Thibault, a blacksmith; Jean Perin, dit Boucher; Ignatius Laroche; Charles Bizet or Bis- sette, murdered by the Indians in 1772; J. B. Petit, in 1795, lived at St. Charles; Joseph AJvarez Hortiz, a Spaniard, resident of Louisiana after the country was ceded to France by Spain, employed in various civil and military matters, but declined, according to Auguste Chouteau, rank in army, was never paid for his services, but solicited and accepted a grant of land in 1800 as compensation ; Christoval de Lisa, in service of Spain, came to the country with Eugene Alva- rez in 1768, and died in the service of Spain, his sons, Joachim and Manuel were born in Spanish-America, but it is also claimed that Manuel was born in New Orleans in 1770; Francois Moreau, a resident of St. Louis in this year, but in 1796 received a grant near St. Ferdinand, also claimed a grant by assign- ment of François Poillivre on the forks of the Maramec in Ste. Genevieve dis- trict, but in 1797 settled on river Establishment, built a house, "made a park," and raised a crop, (2 P. L., p. 600), was also on the Mississippi near Ste. Gen- evieve, and claimed the four arpens square that had been granted to François Azor, dit Breton, for discovering Mine à Breton; Jean Baptiste Dechamps lived
22
HISTORY OF MISSOURI
ment of the Illinois country. 46 It was thus that St. Ange became the After receiving grants from St. Ange, it
legal founder of St. Louis. 47
in St. Louis in 1768, but in 1780 was on river aux Cardes, and on account of In- dians compelled to abandon same, Toussaint Dechamps, dit Hunot, cultivated this property for one year, but he, too, was compelled to abandon it. In 1798 Jean Baptiste was at Portage des Sioux, the first house built there being on his lot, also owned property at St. Charles prior to 1803; Joseph Morin or Marin, carpenter, in 1795 lived on Prairie Boeuf Blanc and Prairie Des Noyers both now within the limits and in center of St. Louis; Bonaventure Collel, a native of Barcelona, merchant of St. Louis, in 1793 at St. Ferdinand, his property sold at the church door by order of the Governor, in 1794 was in New Madrid, mar- ried Constance Conde, but it was discovered that he had a living wife in Spain and he absconded and in 1802 one François Collel, also sells at New Madrid the property of one Bonaventure Collel-may be same person; François M. Benoit (Benoist). We also find in this year in the early records, the names of Beaujeu (may be same as Bogy); Louis Bowpart or Poupast; Foncalt, who either lived in St. Louis or made that place headquarters when they came in from the Indian villages; M. Dutillet, a merchant; Antoine Berard, a native of Bordeaux, France, came to New Orleans in 1768 and shortly afterwards to St. Louis, where he engaged in trade, a man of education, died in October, 1776, thirty-six years of age; Dominique Bargas, a Spaniard, bought the store and house where he did business and also died there in 1779, aged thirty-eight years, of apoplexy, superinduced by excessive heat, so said Dr. Bernard Gibkins; Gille Henrion, made a sale to Laclede in this year. In 1769, Louis Dufresne; Joseph Bouchard or Boucher; Laurent Trudeau; Joseph Langlois, in 1795 was near St. Charles; François Durcy; Jean Baptiste Chauvin; Kierq Marcheteau Des Noyers; Jean Paille; Antoine St. François; Veuve Hebert, from Kaskaskia; Antoine Roussel, dit Sans Souci; Nicolas Choret; Amour La Vienne; Nicholas T. (François) Dion, married Theresa Hervieux, daughter no doubt of the royal armorer, in this year; Philibert Gaignon to Marie Newby, evidently an English- woman; Jean Baptiste Savoie (Savoye), dit Cadien married Louise Ladurantaie- also find a person of same name at St. Charles. Pierre Durcy, perhaps a brother of François, engages his services to Louis Butand; Pierre Roy ; Jean Marie Papin; Jean B. Trudeau; Jean St. Andre; Nicolas St. Andre; Joseph Chartrand; Antoine DeGagne; Louis La Traverse; François Henrion, who died in 1781; Louis Barada, dit Breda, Senior, miller and butcher, in 1797 moved to St. Charles owned property on Prairie DesNoyers; Antoine Barada, Junior, in 1796 married Elizabeth Tesson.
46 Don Pedro Joseph Piernas was a Spaniard by birth, came to New Orleans with Ulloa, a captain in the Spanish service, married Fecilite Robineau de Port- neuf, at New Orleans, who was the sole heiress of Louis Nicolas Robineau de Portneuf and also heiress of half of the estate of Madame Marguerite Philippe D'Aneau de Muid, widow of Rene Robineau, Lord of Portneuf. She was born at Fort de Chartres Sept. 25th, 1745. Piernas in 1785 was colonel of the Louisiana Regiment at New Orleans, succeeding Governor Estevan Miro. Ulloa in a letter to Marquis de Grimaldi says that he was very popular with the troops under him on account "of his methods, joviality, and good treatment" they received from him; and that at Natchez he succeeded with the fort and settlement although he had "less than one half the people that were in Misuri." Piernas held command in New Orleans while Galvez was absent on his expedi- tion to conquer the British possessions on the Mississippi. He was in the Span- ish service 30 years, and his father before him served 48 years
47 Says Martin, "St. Ange, the French commandant there (at Fort de Char- tres) crossed the Mississippi with a number of his countrymen, who were desir- ous to follow the white flag, and laid the foundation of the town of St. Louis." (Martin's History of Louisiana, vol. 1, p. 350.) In this "Histoire de la Louisiane" Victor De Bouchel says, "Pendant que Saint Ange quittait a fort de Chartres de l'Illinois pour aller fonder la ville de Saint Louis, sur les rives Mississippi," page 60.
23
GRANTS OF ST. ANGE
is also to be noted that some of the settlers erected more substantial buildings. But Jean B Martigny, one of the most substantial and wealthy immigrants, erected, in 1766, a stone building, which was afterward long occupied as a residence of the lieutenant-governor, and this house was the " Government House " where the transfer of Upper Louisiana was made. 48
The grants made by St. Ange were never questioned by the Span- ish authorities, although it is said that some apprehension as to the legal status of those grants existed at the time.49 The description of the various lots granted clearly shows that no survey or plat of the town was made prior to 1770. Nor was a survey of town lots required afterward under the Spanish government, when the same were granted, as in the case of grants of land.50 Thus the lot granted to Laclede by St. Ange, when he came to St. Louis, and after Laclede and others had built houses, is described: "Three hundred feet square, the square reserved for the church on one side, on one side a cross street from Marcereau and Hubert, the other from Taillon." Again, a few days after, he granted "one hundred and twenty feet by one hundred and fifty front on Royal street, in the rear Roger Taillon, on one side lot of Joseph Taillon, on the other side a cross street separating it from Veuve Marechal." Pierre François de Volsay is granted "two hundred and forty by three hundred, one side a cross street from the lot of Blondeau and Lamy, on the north another cross street." Jacque Denis, a carpenter (joiner), is granted one hundred and twenty by one hundred and fifty, described: "opposite the church, west of Barn Hill, on one side Hubert, on the other a cross street from Beausoliel." Laville, the first tailor in St. Louis, received a lot "near the Barn Hill, one side Chauvin, the other a cross street from Montardy." Pierre Roy's lot is thus designated: "opposite Comparios dit Gascon, one end Sarpy under Blondeau, the other end a cross street from Hunaud's lot." Not only is it evident from these descriptions that no survey of the lots was made, but it is
48 When Louisiana was ceded to the United States, St. Louis had thirty-three stone dwellings, one hundred and thirty-one built out of posts and logs, and seven out of posts and stones. The French log houses were built by posts set in the ground, and these were bound together by timber, and the interstices filled with stone and mortar.
4º "But Governor Piernas allayed their apprehensions by a public confirma- tion of all the land titles which St. Ange had granted." (I Scharff's History of St. Louis, p. 203.) In the most public manner confirmed all the grants that had been made by his predecessor St. Ange de Bellerive. (Shepard's History of St. Louis, p. 20.)
50 See Clark vs. Brazeau, I Mo. Rep., p. 294.
24
HISTORY OF MISSOURI
also apparent that during the administration of St. Ange, only one street was known by a distinct name, viz., "Rue Royal," now Main street. For convenience cross streets or alleys existed, but none of these were officially designated at first by any name. Naturally, the few streets of the town in course of several years received designations, based on some local circumstance. Thus the street (now Market) out to the path leading to the Bonhomme settlement, became known as "Rue Bonhomme," the street (Walnut) leading to the tower on the hill, "Rue de la Tour," the street (Second) on which the church stood was called "Rue de l'Eglise," and the street farthest back (Third) on which the barns were located was the "Rue des Granges," or Barn street. This locality was then also described as "the hill of the barns in the rear of the village."
The first survey of the lots of the town granted by St. Ange was made by M. Martin Duralde, who was appointed surveyor by Piernas. After completing this work, he filed his report and plat May 20, 1772.51 It is also highly probable that he made a plat of the village showing unoccupied lots, streets and alleys, although no such plat made by him has been preserved. Pierre Chouteau says that he studied surveying under Duralde, who surveyed not only the village, but a large number of the prairie common-fields, near the village, into what may be called farm lots.
The agricultural operations of the first settlers of St. Louis were carried on in a common-field, and in this work all the settlers were in- terested, because after the erection of their new homes the production of breadstuffs was a matter of prime importance. The first com- mon-field of the old village of St. Louis, according to the statement of Auguste Chouteau, extended from near Market street, north to the Big Mound, and from what is now Broadway as far west as Jefferson avenue. Like the common-fields elsewhere, the common-field of the settlers of St. Louis comprised a quantity of land large enough to sat- isfy the wants of the inhabitants of the adjacent village, and in the common-fields each settler or habitan, at that time by petition, could
51 I Scharff's History of St. Louis, p. 142. It is said in Scharff's History of St. Louis, page 203, " To define the bounds of real property and avoid litigation, the settlers solicited an official survey of land grants. The Governor promptly complied with the request of the petitioners and appointed Martin M. Duralde, a Frenchman, to the surveyorship which he created. The honors bestowed on their countryman, and the practical benefits of the government, fully recon- ciled the French settlers to their new allegiance." How like a newspaper report of the present day! In Shepard's History of St. Louis, p. 20, it is said, "As if to add satisfaction to security, he appointed Martin Duralde, a Frenchman, sur- veyor, to make and define their boundaries."
25
THE "COMMONS"
secure a lot. These lots so granted were considered the individual property of the cultivators, and were one arpen in front by forty in depth. As soon as the settlement was founded, the settlers began to enclose the common-field described, and for a long time the east fence of this common-field was the west boundary of the village. But in addition, south and southwest of the village, the country through which La Petite Rivière, or Mill creek, ran, and where numerous springs fed this branch, a tract of land was also enclosed by the settlers for com- mon pasturage, and in this enclosure the inhabitants kept part of their cattle and stock for safety and convenience.52 This enclosure was known as the "Prairie," but after the American occupation became known as the "Common" or "Commons," and under decree of Cruzat embraced 4293 arpens. These "commons" were held to be common property or land of the inhabitants of St. Louis, and as such were confirmed to St. Louis afterward.53 They were first fenced in 1764. The "commons " were originally smaller, but grew in size as the town increased in population. All the people of the village cut wood on these "commons." When, in 1792, Sylvestre Labadie secured a grant to a part of this tract of land, the people remonstrated and he was prohibited by the lieutenant-governor to cultivate the same.54
From the St. Louis archives it appears that the first mortgage made and recorded in St. Louis was dated September 29, 1766, and executed by Pierre Rougeau Berger to François Boyer, both merchants, engaged in the fur trade. The mortgage fails to specify any particular property mortgaged, but pledges the goods of the mortgagor as security for the payment of a certain specified number of deerskins at a cer- tain time, no value being mentioned. Several years afterward, how- ever, the mortgagee acknowledges by his attorney that payment has been made, and this acknowledgment is attested by the notary and
52 This district is now covered with buildings and railroad tracks, and fol- lowing the course of this valley westward it presents far from a lovely picture. Railroad cars of every kind, locomotives puffing up clouds of smoke, old shanties, dilapidated houses, black and dirty, great factories smoke begrimed, and.the big shed of the Union Station dominate the landscape.
53 The "Commons" were by act of Congress confirmed to St. Louis in 1812, and in 1835 the legislature of Missouri authorized the city of St. Louis to sell the property, the proceeds of the sale to be used for school purposes. The land was sold and brought $425,000, at public sale; but the purchasers in many instances failed to take the property. In 1843, 3,615 arpens of the land were resold, and brought nearly $50 per acre, or about $163,680. At the time the low- est price fixed by the city was $21.75 per acre. Some 591 acres, not sold in 1860, were valued at $581,391. The total}value of the property originally embraced in the "St. Louis Commons" can not be far short of $100,000,000 now, or even more.
54 American State Papers, 2 Public Lands, p. 671.
26
HISTORY OF MISSOURI
recorded. Among these archives are also found the judgment of the council, and other documents relating to the sale of the effects and salt works of Mr. Datchurut of Ste. Genevieve, showing that after the transfer of Fort de Chartres all such important matters of conveyance pertaining to the country on the west bank of the river were taken cog- nizance of by St. Ange at St. Louis. That St. Ange exercised great powers is shown by one document recording a sentence to death of one Michael Degoust,55 as well as by an ordinance preserved in these archives which he seems to have promulgated in 1768 against the sale of ardent spirits to the Indians. But generally the documents depos- ited in the archives relate to sales of lots, sales made under executions or to bonds and obligations assumed, bargains and trades and engagements for services.
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