Ste. Genevieve (The Oldest Town in Missouri)
by George Bailey
Ste. Genevieve, in Ste. Genevieve County, is the oldest town in Missouri. Located right alongside the Mississippi River, Ste. Genevieve became a popular destination for French Settlers in Illinois after the Treaty of Paris (circa 1763) rendered the Mississippi River a significant colonial boundary. Jean Baptiste Valle was the town’s first American governor. Ste. Genevieve, believed to have been settled by 1752 at the latest, was forced by flood to relocate to its current site in 1785. The wealth of historical homes in the area have been preserved, and Ste. Genevieve exhibits one of the country’s highest concentrations of poteaux en terre or “posts-in-the-ground†and poteaux sur solle or “posts-on-a-sill†architectural styles. If you're in the mood for a day-trip, consider visiting Ste. Genevieve on your Branson Vacation and bring the family.