CHOUTEAU, Rene Auguste

Rene Auguste Chouteau

CHOUTEAU, Rene Auguste. (New Orleans, LA, Sept.7, 1749-St. Louis, MO, Feb. 24, 1829). Merchant and frontiersman. It was to Chouteau, a founder of the city of St. Louis, Missouri, to whom Julien DUBUQUE executed a deed of sale dated October 20,1804, while in St. Louis. In the deed, Dubuque sold 61,106 acres or approximately ninety-five square miles of his land for $10,848.60. This amounted to an estimated 48 percent of his entire land holdings.

The dividing line between Chouteau's property and that belonging to Dubuque lay at the mouth of CATFISH CREEK. Dubuque's buildings were to remain in his possession during his lifetime with another section of land to be granted to Chouteau if necessary. During his lifetime, Dubuque maintained control over Chouteau's land. The deed was recorded on December 3, 1804, in St. Louis.

Chouteau later sold half of his Dubuque claim to John Mullanphy of St. Louis. A final accounting finds Chouteau paid about six cents an acre for just less than one-fourth of Dubuque's MINING operation.

Chouteau, the administrator of Dubuque's estate, sent his nephew Pierre CHOUTEAU to the mines in June 1810, to inventory Dubuque's personal property. At the auction that followed, Rene Auguste Chouteau paid himself a 10 percent commission of $1,424.35.

The issue of who finally owned the land was not settled until the case of CHOUTEAU vs MOLONY.