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St. Charles County, Missouri Genealogy Trails

THE CITY OF

DARDENNE PRAIRIE
IN THE COUNTY OF ST. CHARLES, MO

Named after the Dardenne family, Dardenne Prairie is a town located in western St. Charles County, Missouri. It is bordered in the north by the Peruque Creek, and in the south by the Dardenne River (later called Dardenne Creek). Running almost directly through the middle of Dardenne Prairie is the Big Road (later called Booneslick Road, and now called Highway N). It is said that Daniel Boone blazed this trail, when he moved to the area in 1799. Spanish land grants are found dating back to 1799 in Dardenne prairie, and many land grants were given in the early 1800’s.

In 1808, William Clark (of Lewis and Clark fame) passed through Dardenne Prairie on his way to establish Fort Osage.

Before the Civil War, Dardenne Prairie was known for its lush prairie and timberlands. It was an ideal place for family living and farming. Dardenne had an abundant supply of wild fruits and nuts, and an unlimited supply of wild game and animals to hunt. The woodlands began to disappear as the area was settled with more people, leaving the area predominantly treeless in later years. The first homesteads in Dardenne were primitive, yet simple. Large families, many of them Catholic, occupied the homesteads, some families owning slaves.

After the Civil War, Dardenne Prairie underwent a change. Many of the people took opposing sides to the war, and lines of separation were drawn. Others moved away to begin new lives elsewhere, and newcomers came to live in the Dardenne area.

The Emaculate Conception Parish of Dardenne was established in 1880 and is still located on it’s original land in Dardenne Prairie on Highway N. A new building was erected next door to the original parish in 2001 to accommodate the growing population. The church spires from the old church can be seen for miles, and both buildings are in use today. There is a cemetery on the church grounds, along with a rectory and a school.

The United States Federal Census lists 3,015 persons living in Dardenne Prairie in 1880, including children.

The town was incorporated in 1981, and was certified as a fourth-class city in 2001. Marilyn Field was the first mayor of the town, she served from 2001 until 2003, when mayor Pam Fogarty was first elected to a two-year term. Fogarty was re-elected as Dardenne Prairie mayor in April of 2005, and received a four-year term through 2009.
The town is in transition from farming to suburban tract development.

As of the 2000 census, Dardenne had a total population of 4,384.

Dardenne Prairie has a total area of 4.4 mi². All of it is land and none of it is covered by water.

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2007 NEWS- The tragic story of the suicide of Megan Meier, a 16 year old Dardenne Prairie resident began with a MySpace message. Megan had been in an argument with her best friend who lived in the neighborhood and the two were no longer speaking. The best friend’s mother then created a fictional MySpace profile in the name of “Josh Evans” and began to communicate through email with Megan. After a few weeks, the fictional “Josh” told Megan she was not a good person, and he didn’t want to be friends with her any longer. Megan’s parents claim that Megan was so distraught over Josh’s comments to her, she then committed suicide by hanging herself in her closet. So far, no laws govern internet abuse or stalking and no charges have been made against the best friend’s mother.

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