906 S. Main St. - St Charles Historic District - St. Charles, MO
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 38° 46.479 W 090° 29.064
15S E 718534 N 4294775
Once the place of political decisions, now clay flows as potters wheel.
Waymark Code: WMP2PE
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 06/18/2015
Views: 5
County of site: St. Charles County
location of site: 906 S. Main St., St. Charles
Marker erected by: Missouri State Society Daughters of the American Revolution
Marker text:
1821 MISSOURI 1921
"Nor North, Nor South, Nor East, Nor West
But part of each, each the best."
Upon this block number twenty was located the
Headquarters of the two Spanish Commandants for
The District of St. Charles.
Louis Blanchette
Charles Tayon
This Tablet also marks the location of the dwelling
Where Blanchette, the first settler, lived and died
1769 1793
Dedicated the Fifth day of October 1921 by the Missouri State Society Daughters of the American revolution
Plank Road Pottery now occupies this building. NRHP Nomination Form & The Library of Congress refers to this as the Coontz House
"One of the first permanent European settlements on the Missouri River, St., was established by Louis Blanchette, a French Canadian fur trader and hunter. Having explored the area five years earlier on a successful hunting trip, Blanchette returned in April 1769 with a group of followers from his home of St. Louis de Lauzon, Quebec, Canada. The Spanish governor of Upper Louisiana had commissioned him to establish the post under the authority of the Spanish government. The new settlement was called "Les Petites Cotes" in apparent reference to the small hills overlooking the Missouri River. Several log houses, a log church, and a grist mill were constructed near the Blanchette Creek in the city block now bordered by Boonslick Road, McDonough Street and Main Street.
"Blanchette developed a prosperous fur trading business and was, until his death in 1793, the settlement's civil and military governor. The settlement was surveyed in 1786 by August Chouteau, the beginning of the development of a "town." In 1791, the second Catholic church was constructed off Main Street facing present-day Jackson Street and was dedicated 7 Nov 1791 by Manuel Perez, the lieutenant governor of Louisiana. On that day, Perez officially changed the name of the settlement from Les Petites Cotes to San Carlos in honor of St. Carlos Borromeo, the patron saint of the new church and of Charles IV, King of Spain.
"Following Blanchette, the position of commandant was held by Don Carlos Tayon (1793-1801) and James Mackay (1801-1804). In 1804, San Carlos, along with the remainder of Upper Louisiana, no longer owed allegiance to France as it became part of the United States of America through the Louisiana Purchase. At that time, the Louisiana Territory was still governed by the Spanish, the people unaware of Napoleon's secret treaty [in 1800--Justin Watkins] with Spain deeding the large territory back to France. On 9 Mar 1804, the residents of San Carlos gathered at the commandant's headquarters on Main Street by Blanchette Creek and were told they were now living in the United States. The Spanish flag was lowered, the French flag raised and lowered, and finally the American flag was raised, this being followed by a joyous celebration." ~ PRESERVATION JOURNAL: Holly Haddox