the river it shapes and defines a landscape gives life to vegetation into the wild the Beavers the deer the Bison Followed shortly there by the kansas missouri osage and Otto Indians who cared for the land but never owned it a few white man came and all of them left the Osage and Kansas Indians were expert trappers and began trading beaver pelts and other first to the Europeans for beads ribbon and cloth the prosperity of trading boomed in the late 18th century top hats coats blankets and seat coverings for carriages were made from furs found in the Missouri River Valley in 1819 Francois Chouteau grandson of st.

Louis founder August Chouteau and his new wife bear nice but their honeymoon traveling up the Missouri River from st.

Louis looking for a site to expand the Chouteau family western fur trading business Francois and Berenice returned with their infant son in 1821 to live in a log cabin on the north side of the Missouri River just east of the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas rivers 35 workers accompany them West and set up camp with the Chouteau's the osage indians called the new trading community Chouteau's town the Europeans living there simply called it the camp American Indians and fur trappers would come from as far west as the Rocky Mountains to do business with the Choteaus keel boats piled high with furs would be sent to st.

Louis and return filled with European goods for trade By 1825 Francois was so busy his brothers came to the area to assist Francois brought commerce to the land his wife Berenice gave the land a heart when cholera smallpox and other diseases ravaged the area Berenice cared for the sick she adopted many american indian and black children who were orphaned after the deaths of their parents she made the trading post a gathering place she would play music and entertain others during the winter months when travel became too dangerous in 1838 while conducting the trade for wild horses in the Indian Territory Francois and two of the sons were attacked by a renegade group of American Indians trying to steal some horses Francois was knocked off his horse and trampled to death in the ensuing Stampede Berenice returned to her husband's body to St.

Louis for burial being of great wealth berenis could have stayed in st.

Louis and lived out the rest of her life and comfort and peace but she returned to western Missouri and lived another 50 years she survived all her ten children and watch the wilderness clearing she turned into a home grow to a city of more than 200,000 people today historians politicians and civic leaders are working together to create a park on Choteau parkway the center banks will be a grand mountain honoring the trade between Francois and the American Indians that gave birth to the city