The oldest settlement in the state established by Europeans will become a National Historic Park, according to a press release from Senator Roy Blunt and Representative Jason Smith. Ste. Genevieve was established in 1735 by French-Canadian colonists. It was the first ever settlement by Europeans in Missouri.
The bill that made Ste. Genevieve was signed into law on March 23, after repeated past efforts to get the historic town recognized failed. “By establishing Ste. Genevieve as a National Historic Park, more visitors will be able to experience, firsthand, day-to-day life in French colonial America,” said Congressman Smith.
The Felix Valle House in Ste. Genevieve is already a State Historic Site managed by the Department of National Resources, and Ste. Genevieve has been a National Historic Landmark since 1960. Ste. Genevieve will be the seventh site in Missouri managed by the National Park Service not including National Historic Trails. The others include the Gateway Arch, Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, and George Washington Carver National Monument.
