Antoine Soulard

Antoine Pierre Soulard (November 16, 1766 – March 11, 1825) was an early settler and government official of St. Louis, Missouri.

Antoine Pierre Soulard
Born(1766-11-16)November 16, 1766
Rochefort, France
DiedMarch 11, 1825(1825-03-11) (aged 58)
St. Louis, Missouri
Occupationsurveyor
Spouse(s)
    ​
    (m. 1795)​

    Early life

    Born to Henri Francois Soulard in Rochefort, France, Soulard became a lieutenant in the French navy. His father and brother also were French naval officers.[1][2] With the French Revolution, and the subsequent Reign of Terror, Soulard fled his homeland for the United States.[3] He arrived in Marblehead, Massachusetts in 1794. Knowing that there were many fellow Frenchman in St. Louis, Soulard began his journey there. He traveled across Pennsylvania on horseback, then floated down the Ohio River on a keelboat, eventually arriving in Ste. Genevieve.[2][4]

    Career and later life

    Soulard arrived in Ste. Genevieve by February 1794. Rumors of an invasion of Spanish Upper Louisiana by French and American troops convinced Spanish authorities that the town need to be fortified. Soulard was appointed to supervise the construction of a fort in Ste. Genevieve. Upon completion of the fort, Soulard then traveled to St. Louis. He introduced himself to the lieutenant-governor of Upper Louisiana, Zénon Trudeau. Soulard was appointed the first surveyor-general of Spanish Upper Louisiana on February 3, 1795 by Trudeau.[4][5] He performed at least 710 surveys from 1795-1806.[6] Soulard remained in this position during the tenure of the next lieutenant governor, Charles de Hault de Lassus, eventually resigning in May 1806 after the area was turned over to the United States.[2][6] Trudeau added to Soulard's responsibilities, appointing him to the position of adjutant protem of the lieutenant governor on October 30, 1795. Soon after this new appointment, Soulard married Marie Julia Cérre, the daughter of a wealthy merchant and fur-trader, Jean-Gabriel Cerré.[4][7]

    Soulard and his wife remained in St. Louis for the rest of their lives. They had several children, including James Gaston, Henry Gustave, Eliza, and Benjamin Antoine.[4] Soulard died in St. Louis on March 10, 1825 and was interred in Calvary Cemetery.[1][8][9] The Soulard neighborhood and Soulard Farmers Market in St. Louis are named for the Soulard family.[10]

    References
    1. Beckwith, Paul. Creoles of St. Louis. 1893. St. Louis, Nixon-Jones, p. 9.
    2. Edwards, Richard, and M. Hopewell. Great West and Her Commercial Metropolis, Embracing a General View of the West, and a Complete History of St. Louis, from the Landing of Ligueste in 1704, to the Present Time:The Portraits and Biographies of Some of the Old Settlers, and Many of the Most Prominent Business Men. St. Louis, Edwards’ Monthly, 1860.
    3. Mrs. Harriet M. Soulard Gone. Saint Louis Republic, 9 November 1888, Volume XXXI, Issue 21335
    4. Christensen, L. O., Foley, W. E., & Kremer, G. Antoine Pierre Soulard. Dictionary of Missouri Biography. Page 712.
    5. "Henry G. Soulard Dead", Saint Louis Post Dispatch, 16 February 1891, page 1
    6. Missouri State Archives, Registre d'Arpentage. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2020, from http://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/regdarpen
    7. “Last of the Soulards Passes Away.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 20 Mar. 1905, p. 4.
    8. The Charleston Mercury, and Morning Advertiser, 19 April 1825, page 2
    9. “Untitled.” Iron County Register, 23 Mar. 1905, pp. 6.
    10. Zivic, Alex (2019-02-25). "Soulard Market's history predates Missouri statehood". Soulard. Retrieved 2020-03-23.http://www.soulard.org/the-ren/2019/2/25/soulard-markets-history-predates-missouri-statehood
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