Missouri's First Capitol - St. Charles, MO - Photos Then and Now on Waymarking.com

County of site: St. Charles County
Location of site: S. Main St., between Capitol Dr. & Madison St., St. Charles
Old Photo: 1922
New: 2006
Note: IN photo the building was used as the bus line office

"Missouri was admitted into the Union as the 24 state on August-10-1821. The first legislature of Missouri, elected in anticipation of Missouri being admitted into the Union as a state, met in St. Louis of September 19-1820, and through the influence of the members of that body from St. Charles County, Benjamin Emmons, James Flaugherty, John Pitman and Robert Spencer, St. Chaarles was by resolution selected as the Seat of Government for Missouri, until a permanent Seat of Government was chosen. Thus St. Charles became the Capitol of Missouri until 1826, when the Capitol was moved to Jefferson City.
In June 1821, the legislature convened in special session in St. Charles and passed an Act giving assent to the admission of Missouri in accordance with the Clay Compromise resolution. Thereupon President Monroe issued a proclamation admitting the state into the Union, on Aug. 10, 1821. At a meeting by the Board of Trustees of the town of the town of St. Charles held on September 29, 1821, it was ordered that the clerk notify the inhabitants of the town, that a meeting would be held on the 6th day of October next for the purpose of procuring rooms for accommodation of the State Legislature.
The town and county furnished living quarters, light fuel and all expenses of maintaining the Capitol free.
Charles and Ruluef Peck owned what was known as Peck's Row. A row of three brick buildings, on the East side of Main Street, between Madison and Clay Sts, now house no's 210-212-214. It was in this row of buildings that both branches of the legislature held their sessions and committee meetings.
It is set down in the records that Ruluef Peck rented these rooms for what now seems a trivial rent of $100.00 per year and he drained the town treasury to get the rent.
House no. 210 is now owned (in 1922) by Mrs. Dora Broeker & no. 212 & 14 by the late Barney Feuerstein.
There was a drive entrance at the south end of the no. 210 building, part of the old arch remain to this day.

"Most of the members of the first legislature, as well as the governor, rode to St. Charles on horseback, and their horses were kept by Mrs. Archibal Watson, who lived a few miles below St. Charles on "The Point." Some of the members were rough characters, and they all dressed in primitive style, either in homepspun or home made clothes, or in buckskin leggings and hunting shirts. Some wore rough shoes of their own manufacture, while others encased their feet in buckskin moccasins. Some had slouched hats, but the greater portion wore hats made of the skins of wild cats or raccoons. Governor McNair was the only man who had a fine cloth coat, and that was cut in the old pigeon-tail style. He also wore a beaver hat, and endeavored to carry himself with dignity becoming a man in his position.
It was no easy task, riding horse-back across the state in that day, and before coming to St. Charles many of them had never been so far away from home in all their life." ~ From Historical records of John J. Buse, in In His Own Hand, 1933