Rocheport, Missouri
Posted by: BruceS
N 38° 58.752 W 092° 33.990
15S E 537548 N 4314557
Rocheport is a small Missouri River town which is listed in its entirety as an historic district.
Waymark Code: WM31YV
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 01/27/2008
Views: 31
From Missouri - A Guide to the "Show Me" State - Route 1 section:
ROCHEPORT (596 alt., 396 pop.), a senescent river town. A ferry was
established near here by John Gray in 1819, and by 1820 Arnold's Warehouse was
in operation. The town was platted in 1825. During the exciting
presidential campaign of 1840, the Whigs held a State convention here.
Rocheport later suffered from recurrent cholera epidemics, and, during the Civil
War, from constant plundering. Bill Anderson and his bushwhackers called
it "our capital." The inscription "H.W. 1844" carved in the cobblestone
gutter on the west side of Main Street, near the railroad tracks, marks the high
water level of a flood of 1844.
Rocheport was a dying community with the loss of river trade and highway by
passing it. The community was revived from decay in the late 1960's when
local preservationists recognized the historic nature of the community and
started restoration of homes and buildings. The quiet town now has many
bed and breakfast inns and antique shops. The rail road tracks mentioned
in the Guide are no longer present, however the railroad bed is now used by the
Katy Trail which stretched nearly across Missouri. Rocheport is a popular
trailhead for the Katy Trail because of the tunnel just west of town (the only
along the trail) and the beauty along the trail to the east as the trail follows
along the Missouri River at the base of high limestone cliffs. The entire
community was listed as an historic district on the National Register of
Historic Places in 1976.