La Charrette: Village Gateway To The American West

La Charrette: Village Gateway To The American West
by Lowell M. Schake

Download Book
(Respecting the intellectual property of others is utmost important to us, we make every effort to make sure we only link to legitimate sites, such as those sites owned by authors and publishers. If you have any questions about these links, please contact us.)

link 1

About Book

Writers Club Press editors
"this is intriguing material...well organized...in an easy to absorb presentation..."

The Santa Fe Trail Quarterly, Vol 17:4, Pp 17 August 2003
"...this is an important book and recommended."

Daniel Boone, the Extraordinary Life of a Common Man
"Boone descendants will be happy to see this new and original book ...you will enjoy this book..."

Victoria Advocate
"I think you will find it an interesting historical and genealogical source."

Book Description
This first ever book on La Charrette Village illuminates its origin, its citizens and their culture when notables like Lewis and Clark, Zebulon Pike and Stephen Long visited. Schake reveals how seven French Canadian-Native American families settled a "miserable," "poverty-stricken" village as America's gateway to the Louisiana Purchase. These vibrant Missouri River fur trappers were the first granted Indian trade rights and map the Santa Fe Trail. Denied their land grants they departed upriver to initiate Cote sans Dessein, another westernmost frontier village. Living among them were the likes of Daniel Boone, "Mountain Man" John Colter, "Indian" Phillips, nine unspecified orphans and Black and Indian slaves. Charrette Landing, Callaway's Fort and School Number 1 served their community. Discover how some endured Indian attacks and trafficked in liquor before removed to the Ioway Indian Reservation. Boone family members next acquired their farms; soon German immigrants supplanted them forming the heart of "Missouri's German Belt." Steamboats docking there brought more settlers, guests and trade goods propelling the community into the 1900s. This unparalleled village history unfolds amid events of national prominence: Louisiana Purchase, Santa Fe Trail, War of 1812, Trail of Tears, Civil War and western migration overlaid by multiculturalism and exploration.

From the Author
La Charrette Village remained as the westernmost frontier outpost on the Missouri River for seven years. This multi-ethnic village is returned to life through the daily activities of its seven families. The village guest, their homes, farms, food, health care and legal systems, frontier conflicts plus leasure and spiritual activities are presented from its founding based on the fur trading economy. Family genealogies extend from their Canadian roots to Indian Reservations. The three giants among the leaders of western exploration are all strongly associated with the village; Lewis and Clark, Zebulon Pike and "Mountain Man" John Colter.

About the Author
Ancestors of Lowell M. Schake owned village farms. Born on Charrette Creek he explored, hunted, trapped, fished and farmed its lands culminating in years of village research. Just like the children at La Charrette Village, he walked across neighboring farms to his one room school and farmed with horses. He and Wendy, his wife, lived the first year of married life on Charrette Creek. Thirty years a professor of animal and food science at three Texas and Connecticut Universities, now retired, he enjoys Padre Island beach life in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Excerpted from La Charrette : Village Gateway to the American West by Lowell M. Schake. Copyright © 2003. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
At about this same time events around Charrette Creek had begun to unfold. Squatters and fur traders are thought to have first operated there when St. Louis was still in its earliest embryonic stages, perhaps even before. Once again, trading in furs provided the primary motivation. Being located about sixty miles up the Missouri from St. Louis undoubtedly offered some competitive advantages for them. Why the wilderness setting on Charrette Creek was chosen in preference to other alternatives logically resided in local geographic features and ready access to furs. Desirable waterways and a population of Native Americans willing to trade in furs were paramount considerations. Whatever the attractions, one may assume that the options were carefully pondered before squatter and settlement activities proceed at the westernmost frontier village of Upper Louisiana.

Comments

SEND A COMMENT

PLEASE READ: All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to the article, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others.