John A. Wright - Florissant

It is unclear when the first settlers arrived in the city we now know as Florissant. We know that at least ten years before the American Revolutionary War, French colonists had established settlements from New Orleans to Canada along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. Two of these settlements were St. Louis and Florissant, Missouri. French farmers and fur trappers moved into this area next to Cold Water Creek in 1767 and stayed to till the rich soil. In 1786, the Village of Florissant was founded while the territory was under Spanish rule. It was that year that Captain Francois Dunegant established the first civil government and served as its first military and civil commandant. (Photo by John A. Wright.)

The St. Ferdinand Cemetery west of Graham Road, established in 1775, was a land grant from the Spanish. The remains of a number of early villagers are located here. (Photo by John A. Wright.)

The monument of Gregoire Aubuchon is one of the prominent structures in St. Ferdinand Cemetery. Aubuchon was the first mayor of Florissant under the 1857 charter. It is reported that the early charge for digging graves was $2 for children, $3 for adults buried in ordinary coffins, and $4 for adults buried in caskets. (Photo by John A. Wright.)

This home, known as Taille de Noyer (Walnut Grove), began as a log cabin in 1790 on a Spanish land grant of Hyacinthe Deshetres. John Mullanphy, a prominent St. Louis philanthropist, purchased the cabin in 1805 and for several years used it as a hunting lodge and trading post. He gave the cabin to his daughter, Jane Mullanphy Chambers, as a wedding gift in 1819. The house and the property remained in the family for almost 140 years. During that time it grew from three rooms to twenty-three. It is now the home of the Florissant Valley Historical Society. (Photo courtesy of the Ferguson-Florissant School District.)

John Mullanphy, Missouris first millionaire and who purchased Taille de Noyer, is credited by some historians as doing more for the St. Louis area than any single individual. His fortune was acquired when he cornered the cotton market after the War of 1812. He offered to build the State Capital at his own expense when Missouri was about to be admitted into the Unionif Florissant was made the state capitol. Mullanphy contributed $1,000 toward the construction of the new Church of St. Ferdinand, and up until the time the building ceased to be a parish church the two front pews were reserved for Mullanphy descendants and mass was said in their names twice a year. (Photo courtesy of the FergusonFlorissant School District.)

Casa Alvarez at St. Denis and St. Pierre Streets, which was built about 1794 is the only remaining link in the Florissant area to the Spanish. The front portion of the house was built for Eugene Alvarez, military storekeeper for the King of Spain. The house began as a log cabin and was later greatly expanded and covered with siding. (Photo courtesy of Mark Rowel.)