La Charrette, the Missing Link in Frontier American History featured… Where the west ‘really’ began
The works of a Missouri born author and retired professor will be featured in three local events from April 22-26, 2006. His La Charrette: A History of The Village Gateway to the American Frontier Visited by Lewis and Clark * Zebulon Pike * Daniel Boone is central to two ongoing national bicentennial celebrations…that of Lewis and Clark and Zebulon Pike’s. Never before has the history of multi-cultural La Charrette Village, America’s first westernmost village of the Louisiana Purchase, been revealed. “Both expeditions departed from La Charrette in 1804 and 1806, respectively” according to the author, Dr. Lowell M. Schake. “This September 20, Lewis and Clark re-enactors will return to the location where the village once stood to again ‘Shout for Joy’!”
This missing link in American history will be among the 100 or so authors with their books featured at The North Texas Book Festival on Saturday, April 22 at The Denton Civic Center, 321 East McKinney Street at Bell Avenue from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Previously, Schake’s book has been featured in Missouri Life magazine, by The Missouri Historical Society of St. Louis and in numerous Texas events.
The Denton Public Library will host a reception and book signing for the Port Aransas, Texas author on Sunday, April 23 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Emily Fowler Library at 502 Oakland. Schake explained, “that only seven families lived at La Charrette Village, yet they represented a virtual ‘Who’s Who’ of the American West with unique ties to Texas. Lewis and Clark wanted to train there, but the French denied them entry into the territory.”
On Monday, Tuesday and Wednsday of April 24, 25 and 26, Schake has volunteered to tell Denton ISD 4th and 5th graders about life at this multi-lingual Missouri River village where the Native American-French families lived with nine orphan children. “There was no school, church or store, just a rugged fur trading outpost with a river landing” is how Schake described the lost village of his birth where his maternal grandparents once lived in the same cabin as did Daniel Boone.
The Forward of Schake’s selection, published in January of this year by iUniverse, Inc.of Lincoln, Nebraska, is authored by Dr. F. Todd Smith, Associate Professor of History, University of North Texas, Denton. Smith is noted for his work’s on multi-ethnic American frontier settlements like La Charrette Village.
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I look forward to seeing you in Denton, Texas. Be certain to have the school children prepared to ask questions, spend time browsing at the Texas Book Festival and have some of Toni Thomas’ refreshments at Emily Fowler Library. Toni is a dear friend making these arrangements with Head Librarian Eva Pool. My booth at the Texas Book Festival will be located close to the Hastings exhibit in the Civic Center.
See you there!
Lowell
