Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/109

 CHAPTER V STE. GENEVIEVE DISTRICT The Name Louisiana — The Illinois — The French and Spanish Districts With Their Limits — The Appearance and Character op the Country — Ste. Genevieve — Probable Date of First Settlement — "The Old Village op Ste. Genevieve" — Original Set- tlers — OppiCLiis AND Legal Proceedings — Occupations — The "Big Field" — Indian Troubles — Life op the French Pioneers — Population — Pittman's Account — Visit op Paul Allioy — As Peck saw the Tovfn — Impressions op Flag — Ferdinand Rozier — John James Audubon — John Smith T. — -Henry Dodge — John Rice Jones — New Bour- bon — New Tennessee — Table op Settlements — First Settlers in Iron County — The Cook and Murphy Settlements — St. Michael's — Old Mines — First Settlers in Jef- ferson County — Perry County Settlements — Long's Account. La Salle applied to the territory along' the Mississippi the name Louisiana. It was early divided by the French into two parts, Upper Louisiana which was north of the Arkansas river and Lower Louisiana which was south of the Arkansas. It should be said here that the whole territory on both sides of the river north of the Ohio was frequently called the country of the Illinois, and so va- rious settlements and rivers were spoken of as being in the Illinois. They applied differ- ent names, also, to the rivers of the district. Thej^ called the Mississippi the river St. Louis, the Missouri they named the St. Philip, and the Wabash was called the St. James. Upper Louisiana was divided into five dis- tricts: first, the district of St. Louis between the Missouri and the Maramec ; second the district of Ste. Genevieve between the Mara- mec and Apple Creek; third the district of Cape Girardeau extending from Apple Creek Vol. 1—4 to Tywappity bottom ; fourth the disti'ict of New Madrid which reached south to the Ar- kansas river; and fifth the district of St. Charles which lay north of the Missouri river. All of these districts fronted on the Mississippi and extended an unknown dis- tance to the west. This country of Upper Louisiana, at the time the French began their settlements, was one of wonderful beauty and attractive- ness. All explorers and travelers who visited it were enraptured with the country and the prospects of its development. Its hills and forests, its streams and springs were all of unusual beauty. The openness of the woods, the comparative absence of undergrowth made the woods both attractive and easy to travel through. The alluvial plains not yet changed by the earthquakes with their wide stretches of level woodland, with their great trees, were esteemed by many of the early travelers as the choicest part of all Upper 49