SAINTE GENEVIEVE

city, seat (1812) of Sainte Genevieve county, eastern Missouri, U.S. It lies along the Mississippi River, opposite Kellogg, Ill., 65 miles (105 km) south of St. Louis. The first permanent white settlement in Missouri, it was founded by French Canadians in 1735 in what was then the Territory of Louisiana. The original settlement, called LeVieux (the Old) Village, was located in La Grand Champ (Big Field), but, following a flood in 1785, it was moved to its present site on higher ground. The community's French origin is reflected in its Jour de Fte Ste. Genevieve, a festival held each August, which includes a tour of historic French homes (notably Bolduc and Amoureaux houses), a parade, art shows, a French market, a display of antiques, and the King's Ball. A museum contains American Indian relics and a display of birds mounted by John James Audubon, the 19th-century American ornithologist, who lived briefly in the city. In the summer of 1993 a hastily built series of leveessome of which were more than 20 feet (6 m) highsaved the historic centre from destruction by floodwaters; several other buildings were damaged, however. Sainte Genevieve is a trade centre for grain and livestock. Lime is quarried and processed, and light manufactures include wooden sashes, doors, and clothing. Inc. 1808. Pop. (1990) 4,411; (1994 est.) 4,470.