Renaissance MAY 2024

4 - The Soulard Renaissance - MAY 2024 Editor’s Note: Part 1 appeared in the February 2023 issue. Due to space con- straints, we cannot reprint all of the cita- tions; please email me at editor@soulard. org for a reference list. The saga continues, so stay tuned for Part 3 in the next issue. Confirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court in January 1835, this land grant predates any other land claim in the area. On April 1, 1795, The Commandant of New Bourbon, Don Pedro Carlos Dehault DeLassus DeLuzieres was granted this land by Zenon Trudeau, Lt. Governor of Upper Louisiana, in compliance with official instruction addressed to him by the Governor General of the Province of Louisiana, the Baron of Carondelet, mea- suring one league square (equal to 7056 arpents or approximately 6,000 acres) for the exclusive exploration of ancient lead diggings known to have existed, in addition to cultivation and raising of cattle. In his decree, Carondelet directed that said tract should be surveyed in due form by Antoine Soulard, then about to be appointed Surveyor General of the Province of Upper Louisiana. DeLassus was put into possession of this land on April 15, 1795, by the Commandant of Ste. Genevieve, Francois Valle. The tract was surveyed by Antoine Soulard, on Dec. 14, 1799, and recorded onMarch 5, The Soulard Stones: Part 2 By Dr. Ryan Johnston, D.C. Figure 1: Soulard land survey for Pedro De Lassus Deluziere. 1800, as one of the 710 surveys that make up his historic Soulard Surveys Registre D’Arpentage, which was created between 1797 and 1806. The French-born Soulard served as Surveyor General of Upper Louisiana for the Spanish government from 1795- 1804, writing in his native French. After the Louisiana Purchase, he remained as Surveyor General of the Territory for the U.S. government and continued his Registre in English. According to the Missouri State Archives, the purpose of the Soulard Registre was to certify and locate the land grants made to settlers by the French and Spanish govern- ments. These settlers included people like Gabriel Cerre, Auguste Chouteau and Daniel Boone. Although rare, women, including Marie Louise Papin, Dr. Johnston’s sixth great-grandmother had grants approved and recorded. Her land became most of what is today Forest Park. Soulard did not have the advantage of the modern grid system of reference points used by surveyors today. He used a system called meters and bounds, which relies on the natural features like rivers andmountains along with stone markers and trees carved with the claimants’ ini- tials to mark boundaries. In many cases like the DeLassus survey, these were of the first land grants given in very remote areas of the western frontier with no other reference points anywhere nearby to aid surveying calculations. Addition- ally, not all of the local Native American tribes were friendly to white settlers. To complete his mission, Soulard had to use delicate surveying equipment, teams of men, and wagon loads of supplies. It is amazing that he was able to accomplish this task, with these resources, in that place and time in history. Don Pedro, or as he was known to his French countrymen, Pierre Charles Dehault DeLassus Deluzieres, Knight (Chevalier) of the Grand Cross in the Royal Order of St. Michael, was a significant individual in the early his- tory of Missouri. In France, he served as Figure 2a (above): Antoine Soulard display at the Missouri History Museum. Figure 2b: Antoine Soulard. Figure 3: The DeLassus (c.1793) vertical log cabin in 2023, now owned by Ste. Genevieve National Park. Adviser to the King in the Court of his cousin, Louis XVI. During the French Revolution of the late 1700s that would see the fall of the French Monarchy, the DeLassus family fled Europe to avoid facing the guillotine. After a short stay in Gallipolis, Ohio, DeLassus settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and remained for several years before relocating toNew Bourbon along the Mississippi River. As a stipulation of his relocation to the Up- per Louisiana Territory, Gov. Carondelet promised DeLassus a land grant, which he fulfilled in 1795. Many people want to have a garden that is easy to maintain while being drought-resistant and insect-free. They want their garden to look attractive. To- day, I will provide information that will enable you to achieve all these objectives. One option to accomplish these objectives is to use nature scaping. This form of garden and landscaping design combines biology, agriculture, ecol- ogy and hydrology. You have probably seen this technique in many places. For example, the gardens at the St. Louis Arch grounds and Forest Park follow these principles. Closer to home, look at Soulard’s Sidney Triangle Garden, located at the intersection of Sidney and South 9th streets. The Sidney Triangle was an eye- sore for many years, due to poor soil, Master gardener offers naturescaping tips to keep gardens attractive By Veronica Putz Master Gardener Continued on Page 11 poor irrigation, and plants that were not drought tolerant. In 2017 a small group of Soulard residents pursued a grant from Project Clear. This program is run by the St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District and the Missouri Bo- tanical Garden. Project Clear is based on the need to reduce stormwater in St. Louis through the planting of native plants that can better absorb runoff water. Landscape features like rain gar- dens and bioswales capture and absorb large amounts of water, which in turn reduces the strain on the city stormwa- ter/sewer system. The Soulard residents were success- ful. They won two grants of $3,000 each. The award paid almost 90 per- cent of the cost of landscaping the Sid- ney Triangle. More importantly, once the hundreds of plantings took root in the Sidney Triangle, the garden became self-sustaining. Plants You Should Select Within the Sidney Triangle you will find an interesting array of na- tive plants, all of which have beautiful flowers. Some of the most colorful plants are the Cardinal Flower ( Lobe- lia cardinalis ), Missouri Coneflower ( Rudbeckia missouriensis ), Butterfly Weed ( Asclepias tuberosa ), Blazing Star ( Liatris aspera ) and Indian Paintbrush ( Castilleja coccinea ). There are many other types of plants in the Sidney Tri- angle. In fact, in 2018 we planted more than 1,000 individual plants! (See the photos on Page 11 for the types of plants appropriate to our area.) Benefits of a Native Garden Adaptability: Native plants are adaptable within our local climate and soil conditions. Their deep root systems can help prevent soil erosion, stabilize slopes, improve water infiltra- tion, and reduce the risk of flooding and runoff. Increased Biodiversity: Incorporat- ing native plants into your landscape creates a welcoming environment for birds, butterflies, bees and other ben- eficial insects. Water Conservation: Native plants generally require less water, once estab- lished, compared to non-native species. Improved Aesthetics: Native species offer a diverse range of colors, textures and forms, allowing you to create a visually appealing garden. Low maintenance: One of the benefits of native plants is their low main- tenance. Since they have evolved to co-exist within the local environment, they possess natural defenses against local pests. The result is reduced need