St. Charles

In 1769, French Canadian fur trader Louis Blanchette built a cabin on the Missouri River in what is today St. Charles. He called the settlement Les Petites CAtes, or the little hills. Other now famous explorers soon passed this way, including Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who began their expedition here in 1804 to explore the Louisiana Purchase territory. Daniel Boone forged a path through St. Charles along the Booneas Lick Trail, which later joined the Santa Fe Trail and then the Oregon Trail. Today St. Charles hosts many annual events to celebrate its rich history and transport visitors to the past. However, the site of Missourias first state capitol has not survived without tragedy and an occasional natural disaster, including a cholera epidemic, tornadoes, floods, and a couple of disastrous railroad bridge accidents.

Don Graveman, a fourth-generation St. Charlesan, holds a degree in economics from the University of Missouri and is an avid historian and photographer. Dianna Graveman, an editor and award-winning writer, holds degrees from both the University of Missouri and Lindenwood University. Together they gathered their favorite images from the St. Charles County Historical Society's archives and other sources to illustrate the colorful history of their hometown.