n e w a cq u i s i t i o n
Missouri’s Industrial Beginnings The Conservancy acquires the remains of a historic salt works.
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
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n a small wooded ravine near Saline Creek outside Ste. Genevieve,Missouri, there is a concentration of limestone blocks and a few iron kettle fragments scattered amid a poorly vegetated patch of low ground.The vegetation is sparse because the soil is permeated with salt as a result of a once profusely flowing salt spring.The blocks and kettle fragments are all that remain above ground to mark the location of La Saline salt works, one of Missouri’s first industrial enterprises. In the late 17th century, French colonists established their first settlements west of the Mississippi at Ste. Genevieve. Although the initial attraction of the area was its rich agricultural land, the salt spring was soon recognized as a useful resource. Surviving documents indicate that by the 1690s, La Saline had become an important source of salt. By the 1750s salt had become such an important part of the French colonial economy that it was declared an official medium of exchange. The salt works remained in production until the 1830s. It closed due to competition from Louisiana salt mines. After production ceased, the hamlet of La Saline, which sprung up around the salt works, was abandoned and the land passed into agricultural use. Today extensive archaeological remains mark the former importance of the salt spring.To insure their preservation, the Conservancy has entered into an option agreement with the owners to purchase a 20-acre tract of land that encompasses the remains of the salt works and the hamlet.
(Left) This 1789 medallion commemorating George Washington’s inauguration was discovered at the site. (Above) The 1986 excavation of La Saline.
Limited archaeological excavations in areas surrounding the spring have discovered substantial historic and prehistoric deposits, the later resulting from Mississippian-period Native Americans who utilized the salt spring nearly five centuries before the French arrived. Considerable portions of the French-period furnaces— which were used to boil the brine to produce the salt— remain intact and buried. Excavations in the hamlet area have revealed remains of early French colonial poteaux en terre houses. A particularly intriguing find is a 1789 medallion commemorating George Washington’s first inauguration as President. —Paul Gardner
Conservancy Plan of Action 29
SITE: La Saline CULTURE and TIME PERIOD: Late Prehistoric (A.D. 1200–1400), French and Anglo-American Colonial (A.D. 1690–1830) STATUS: The site is well-preserved agricultural land that is threatened by development. ACQUISITION: The Conservancy has until the end of the year to raise $75,000 to purchase the 20-acre property and pay for its management, including a prairie restoration. HOW YOU CAN HELP: Send your contributions to The Archaeological Conservancy, Attn: La Saline, 5301 Central Ave. NE, Suite 402, Albuquerque, NM 87108-1517.
american archaeology
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Independence Kansas City
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St. Louis
Jefferson City 44
Springfield
La Saline 55
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