To the right is the Jean Baptiste Valle House; to the right of that is the Commandant’s House. The Bolduc House was built in 1740 by Peter Bolduc, a very prominent merchant in Ste. Geneviève, Missouri. The house, along with the rest of the village, was moved to its present location on higher ground in 1785 to escape flooding from the Mississippi River.
Wikimedia image
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute.
French settlers arrived at what is now St. Louis in the early 1700s. They remained on the east bank of the Mississippi until about 1750 when a new settlement, Ste. Geneviève, Missouri, across the river was constructed. Though in present day Missouri, the settlement at the time was still thought to be part of Illinois country.
During the early years, Ste. Geneviève grew slowly due to its location on a muddy, flat flood plain. And in fact, in 1752, the town had only 23 full-time residents and most were farmers.
That’s today’s American Agriculture History Minute. I’m Mark Oppold. Thanks for reading. I’ll see you next time.
Sponsored Content