515 S. Main St. - St Charles Historic District - St. Charles, MO - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

County of building: St. Charles County
Location of site: 515 S. Main St., St. Charles

ECKERTS TAVERN
This is the site and part of the famous Eckert's Tavern, well known between the years of 1818 and 1846 with the migration of various expeditions to the west. The tavern proper was a large building and stood facing Main Street. The second story was destroyed in the tornado of February 26, 1876. The livery stable, known as Anderson's, together with the wagon yard and blacksmith shop where wagons were traded and repaired and had their horses shoed, etc., were in constant use by the patrons of the tavern. this area was where the patio tables and small pond sit today.

In 1825 President John Quincy Admas appointed Benjamin Reeves, George Sibley and Thomas Mathers as commissioners to carry out the mapping and finish the route to Santa Fe. The men assembled at Eckerts Tavern to write their reports concerning the survey and the marking of the entire road from St. Charles to Santa Fe New Mexico, and now called the Santa Fe Trail.

This is also the site where Zebloun M. Pike stayed and gathered his supplies and materials for his expedition in 1806. He was instructed to explore the western and southwestern parts of the Louisiana Purchase, He was to travel up the Missouri River then the Osage River, and as a result he discovered the Rocky Mountain Peak named after him. ~ NRHP Nomination Form

This is the site and part of the famous Eckert’s Tavern, well known between the years of 1818 and 1846 with the migration of various expeditions to the West. The tavern proper was a large building and stood facing Main Street. The second story was destroyed in the tornado of February 26, 1876. The Livery Stable, known as Anderson’s, together with the wagon yard and blacksmith shop where wagons were traded and repaired and horses shoed etc., was in use by the patrons of the tavern. In 1825President John Quincy Adams appointed Benj. Reeves, George C. Sibley and Thomas Mathers Commissioners to carry out the route to Santa Fe. The U. S. Congress having recognized the importance of the establishment of trade with the West made an appropriation for a survey of a route to New Mexico. It was Eckert’s Tavern where Colonel Mather met Major Sibley, Secretary of the Government Survey of the road to Santa Fe. The work of writing the complete report on the survey, making the necessary treaties with the Indians, including maps, field notes, expense accounts, etc. took from October 28, 1827 to December 7, 1827. According to accounts, the appropriation had been exceeded by $1,504.54. Ironically, it took seven years before these three Commissioners were reimbursed by the government, and in closing this event in his diary, Major Sibley wrote: “So that the whole of this business of the Road to New Mexico is at length finally and fully settled”." ~ Historical St. Charles  PDF pages 47