Chateau Family History Art 8 04
-NOSTALGIA
TELEGRAPH HERALD llA
TUESDAY. AUGUST 17. 2004
Royal family left impact along Mississippi
The Chouteaus were
a very active clan
" The Royal Family of the
Wilderness. had a
dramatic impact on the
.economics. politics and culture up
and down the Mississippi River.
Poets wrote of its importance
while presidents, generals,
explorers and businessmen
courted the members' friendship.
The Supreme Court decided the
fate of the their investments more
than once. Omy rarely were they
on the losing side, but one of those
times meant much for the future
of Dubuque.
The Chouteau family of New
Orleans established this American
dynasty that included the Gratiots,
Hempsteads and Sanfords. They
became fur traders, lead
merchants, Indian agents,
bankers. land speculators,
governmental advisors,
community leaders and the
founders of St. Louis.
Marie Therese Bourgeois. of New
Orleans, married Rene Auguste
Chouteau. of France, in 1748. He
abandoned his
wife and son to
return to France.
She assumed the
title of widow and
later assumed a
"mutual
attachment that
they chose to
consider their
legal union" with
businessman
Pierre de Laclede
liquest
Since the
Catholic Church
recognized neither divorce nor
remarriage. their children retained
the Chouteau name, and Rene
Chouteau was listed as the .
legitimate father. To further
complicate matters. Rene returned
to New Orleans and was
determined to reassert his marital
role that now would include
financial rewards.
The New Orleans officials issued
an order to return Madam
Chouteau from St. Louis to the
"authority" ofChouteau. but that
city was quite reluctant to force the
matriarch of its founding family to
SUSAN
HEWIT
forthe TH
111*
leave. So the order was ignored
Rene. who worked in New Orleans
as a pastry chef. died without
family. fame or fortune in 1776.
The force behind the "Royal
Family. was Laclede. He sent his
stepson Auguste Chouteau to
establish a settlement and trading
headquarters in Upper Louisiana.
Seven hundred miles north of
New Orleans. they chose an
elevated site safe from flooding
but with access to the Mississippi.
Missouri and Illinois Rivers.
In February, 1764 they began
clearing the land and building
cabins for the city that was named
for the king of France's patron
saint-St.Louis.
St. Louis soon became the
commercial center of the
Mississippi Valley. When the
demand for lead increased
beginning in 1804, they
purchased half interest in the
Dubuque Mines for $10,848.60.
Julien Dubuque already was
heavily in debt to the Chouteau
family and looked to his new
partner to ease the transition of
his land grant from Spanish to
American title.
In 1810. Auguste sent his
nephew Pierre Jr. to work his half
of the mines. But Dubuque died .
so Pierre took over opemtion of
the mines witil 1812. Indian
hostility forced him to abandon
the area and kept others out until
the Black Hawk Purchase of 1833.
The Chouteau family 'said it
held legal title to the mines due to
the agreement with Dubuque and
the inclusion of a provision
protecting their interests in the
1804 Sac and Fox neaty.
The legal confusion caused by
this claim prohibited many
Dubuque County residents from
having clear title to the land
where they worked and lived. By :
the 1850s. the situation becaIne 110
tense that citizens refused to pay
their property taxes.
The U.S. Supreme Court heard
the case in its December 1853
term. In "Chouteau v. Maiony" the
court decided against the
Chouteau claim. Clear ownership
now was available to Dubuque
County residents and continued
growth possible.
Hellert can be contacted at
hellertsmh@yahoo.com
YESTERDAYS
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The Fourth Street Elevator (Fenelon Place Elevator) is the steepest and shortest railway'ln the United
States. The 296-foot long (286 feet of track) elevator carries passengers 189 feet from the Fenelon Place
to Fourth Street. It originally was installed for Dubuque Mayor Julius (J.K.) Graves in 1882. It has been
destroyed by fire twice and restored in 1893. (Courtesy of the Center for Dubuque History. Loras College)
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