M-22: Auguste Chouteau Papers
HISTORY: Auguste Chouteau (1749-1829), one of the founders of St. Louis, Missouri, was also a fur trader, territorial judge, and patriarch of the most influential French family in early St. Louis history.
SCOPE: Written in English, Spanish, and French, the documents relate to exclusive trading rights among the Osage, including receipts; relationship between the Spanish and Chouteau; and treaty of peace with Great Britain and suppression of Indian hostilities.
The journal is a fragment of Chouteau's "Narrative of the Settlement of St. Louis." It is the only eyewitness documentation on the activities surrounding the founding of St. Louis. A literal translation from the original manuscript by J. Givin Brown and J. Wilmer Stith was published by the St. Louis Mercantile Library Association in 1857 and again in 1989.
HOLDINGS: Bound volume containing 41 documents and correspondence, 1787-1819; 1 journal ca. 1810-1820, unsigned but in Chouteau's handwriting on ledger paper, 14pp. [in French]
ACCESS: Due to the extreme fragility and uniqueness of this collection, access to the original is limited.
The journal fragment of this collection has been digitized. A copy is available for download.
M-022 Auguste Chouteau Fragment Images (.pdf)
Copies of the literal translation are also available.
M-022 Auguste Chouteau Fragement Translation (.rtf)
M-022 Auguste Chouteau Fragement Translation (.pdf)
Please contact the staff members listed below concerning this material.