History 101
The Beginning Before We Were Chesterfield Article Aimee Pellet | Photography John Babb
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t’s fascinating to imagine what some of the early inhabitants of the Chesterfield area would think if they could see the city today with all of its modern businesses, homes, schools and amenities. Likewise, it makes you wonder what we would think if we could see Chesterfield 200 years ago, 100 years ago or even 20 years ago (and I’m sure some of us remember that). The inhabited history of the area actually goes back much further than that – evidence of a 12,000-year old campsite was discovered on the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River. Over the next several thousand years, various groups of ancient people continued to inhabit the area. Some were travelers making use of the excellent waterways, while others had more permanent settlements as evidenced by the nearly 200 prehistoric or ancient archeological sites that exist in what is now Chesterfield.
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Chesterfield Lifestyle | August 2014
Early European fur trappers and traders traversed the area in the late 18th century, as they did much of the St. Louis area. The first Europeans to permanently settle in the area arrived in the 1790s and included Robert Baldridge, James Mackay, John Evans and the Long and Conway families. Many accepted land by means of Spanish land grants according to early records, as Spain controlled the area from 1766 to 1802. We know that Lewis and Clark’s famous expedition left from St. Charles in 1804, but how many of us have stopped to think that this means they navigated the Missouri River and passed over the very area we now consider home? The platting of the actual town of Chesterfield is credited to Justus Post in 1818; however, much mystery still surrounds this, as there is conflicting research. If you think you’re busy now, imagine a time when everything was done hardcopy with an ink pen and it becomes easier to understand why not everything was well documented. The original village of Chesterfield was a small enclave located on what is now known as Old Chesterfield Road, between Baxter and Wild Horse Creek Roads, but was within the larger Bonhomme Township. This township also included the villages of Bonhomme, Gumbo, Bellefontaine and Lake. Historically, the township and range system of land survey allowed the federal government to map and govern the vast areas of mostly rural land in the newly acquired Louisiana Territory. Each township encompassed 640 acres. The 1895 Chesterfield Post Office is still standing at the intersection of Old Chesterfield and Baxter Roads, and today houses Dick Busch Architects. By the mid 1800s, Europeans had discovered the great farmland of the area, thanks to European reports and publications claiming that this area of Missouri held topography and fertile land similar to that of Western Europe. Immigration to Chesterfield began in earnest, including my own family’s settlement in 1848. Most of the families came from Germany, but many made their way here from other regions of Europe as well. They came for many of the same reasons we are still a mobile society – better economic opportunities, family connections or simply a desire for adventure. Chesterfield is an area rich in history. Some of it can still be enjoyed today if you explore our preserved historical structures and sites, but other pieces of history live on only in memories or photographs. Whether you’re an “old timer” or you’ve recently moved to the area and are interested in your new community, in future months I invite you to join us in exploring our past. In our next issue, we’ll take a look at a business located in one of Chesterfield’s historic structures, both of which have their own interesting histories – the Old House In Hog Hollow. If you have memories, comments or suggestions for future topics, please email Aimee at aimee@thehistorychick.com