Riverfront shopping, history & food

Washington, Missouri is a river town worthy of a day trip by the sheer number of boutiques, historic museums, and pubs on the riverfront. Many do not know that the area was created by a gift to Daniel Boone resulting from the Spanish Empire. The area was called Upper Louisiana or New Spanish Territory in the 1800s. The town was originally called St. John Meyer’s Settlement and was the site of the Spanish log fort, San Juan del Misuri (1796-1803).

The town, named after George Washington with the settlement created by Daniel Boone’s move to the area in 1799. The cost of land was waived if the buyer could build a substantial house within two years. This encouraged many new settlers, including the Boones. The Germans came next in 1833, who were anti-slavery. They soon outnumbered the slave-owning population of Washington. Daniel and Rebecca Boone lived there in their later years and were buried near Washington.

The Washington Bridge was constructed in 1934 and was the only bridge spanning the Missouri River in Franklin County. It was replaced with a new, wider bridge which was opened to traffic on December 3, 2018. The original bridge was demolished on April 13, 2019. Many travelers photograph the beautiful, his toric cantilever truss bridge.

Washington’s Amtrak railway station on the Missouri River is also a popular tourist destination. Built in 1923, the charming brick structure is picturesque with a waterfront background.

Other historical places in Washington to visit:

The Boone Trace trail, formed in 1805 by Daniel and Nathan Boone, it starts at present day Matson from Daniel Boone’s Spanish land grant. The trail extends 140 miles to the west to the Boone Salt Lick at Old Franklin, near Booneville. I t was the main route west until the 1820’s.

The Daniel Boone Home. West of Defiance, the home of Nathan Boone, and Daniel and Rebecca Boone’s late years.

The Daniel Boone and American Frontier Exhibit housed in the Washington Old Town Depot, with a Washington Area Visitors Cen ter, an art gallery, and the Amtrak Station. The Boone Settleme nt sits right across the Mississippi River from the depot, and only 2 m iles from where Daniel and Rebecca Boone were buried.

While in town, stroll the riverfront and visit the many quaint and historic businesses. A good place to grab a bite to eat on a warm spring day is 1869 Draft Room.

The establishment overlooks James W. Rennick Riverfront Park. T he patio makes for a great view of the area as the trains rush by. Munch on some spicy, deep fried buffalo cau liflower, with ranch dressing a favorite appetizer in the St. Louis region. Lunch was followed by a couple of the dra ft room’s unusual burger offerings. Opting not to burn the mouth off with their Towering Inferno Burger, the tame r Pizza Burger with their garlic cheese curds mari -