To get an idea of the movement of the Drouin to St Louis, look in at the portion of this history in family history under Pierre-Joseph married to Marie-Anne Vanier. Three of his sons, Joseph-Pierre, Jean-Baptiste and Jean-Louis, moved west first to the Detroit area, then to St Louis and some with their descendants on to Louisiana.
Joseph-Pierre who first married Charlotte Campeau in Detroit, moved west as widower in 1775 passing through St Louis more than likely with at least one of his brother Jean-Louis as well as two sons of Jean-Louis, Joseph-Marie and Michel. Also part of the group was a nephew of both Joseph-Pierre and Jean-Louis, Joseph son of Louis Grabriel/Josephte Verdon. The links of this family within the US are: Joseph-Pierre who married Genevieve Hubert in Donaldsonville, Louisiana; Sons of Jean-Baptiste who settled through Chicago, and Minnesota and Jean-Louis who seemed to have settled in the St Louis area., but had at least two sons who eventually moved to Louisiana.
A journalist from Montreal, Jean-Pierre Bonhomme recently wrote
an article on the French settlements around St Louis, MO. The journalist
was invited by the Washington, MO, area chamber of Commerce.
In 1673 when our original ancestor Robert was still alive in Quebec, Louis
Joliette and the missionary father Jacques Marquette under the direction
of Governor Frontenac in Quebec, went from lake Michigan, Wisconsin River
and finally reached the upper part of the Mississippi delta. The
convergence of Missouri River and the Mississippi had always been a place
of importance to the Indians of the interior, where many settlements existed.
It remained so for the French who continued to use it as major stop over
along the route to Louisiana, as well as a major trading post to do business
with the Indian population. Some vestige of this French presence
can still be found today in the area. Fort
de Chartres, IL. considered as important as Louisbourg in Canada,
is today being rebuild by the State of Illinois.
It is interesting to note that Illinois was at one time ruled by New
France, i.e. from Quebec city.
By the time the family moved west, the name had changed to DeRouen. Much is left out of this history of Drouin/DeRouen of St Louis. It is hoped that by publishing this little history on their beginning, we may be able to get more information from our correspondents as well as related family history.
MARIE-LOUISE DEROUIN (Quenoche) (St Louis/Iowa)
Following the trail of one of my correspondent, Sandy Neil, I insert the following information put together by her, on a Marie-Louise Derouin who was born in St Louis on 15 October 1803. We have no information on her father or mother, but the QUENOCHE in her surname maybe from her father who possibly was called "Quenoche Derouin". Quenoche is a name of a community in France, a town or township in Haute Saone District. In any event it appears that through her life this particular "surname" was used alternately with her major surname of "Derouin". Her second husband George W Ames was the son of David Ames and his wife Rebecca Johnson. David was the son Captain John Ames, Revolutionary War soldier. This particular record item has been used by a number of Marie's (Mary) descendants to join the DAR. Mary is buried at the St Joseph's cemetery, DeWitt, Clinton, Co. Iowa.
12 Dec 1999