Founded by French Canadians in 1769, St. Charles was first known as Les Petites Cotes—“the little hills”—a reference to the low bluffs that form a picturesque backdrop along the Missouri River. Present-day Missouri was then part of a vast territory under Spanish rule, although many of those who came to the region to start a new life were French nationals. But also among the arrivals was an American pioneer and soon-to-be folk hero named Daniel Boone; he and much of his extended family settled in nearby Defiance. Learn More...