History of 305 Morgan Street

While generations may come and go in our city, their homes and the stories connected with them often remain through the centuries. Frenchtown is an area that offers rich examples of this point. One illustration is located at 305 Morgan Street. The site has been occupied since 1797 when it was owned by Isidore Lacroix, who in turn sold the property to the wealthy French couple, Francois and Beauvais Duquette. Their descendents sold the land and a frame home to Christoph and Friederike Weeke in 1865.

An ambitious, prosperous, and prominent couple, the Weekes would have been considered the "movers and shakers" of their era. Weeke organized the St. Charles Mutual Fire Insurance Company (that remains in existence today) and a construction company. However, the bulk of his money resulted from a mill that he built on Second Street prior to the Civil War. Initially he created a merchandizing disaster by naming his product Weeke Flour, but the mill nicely recovered after hastily changing it to "Snow Ball Flour." Moreover, the mill might have been among the beneficiaries of governmental contracts for flour to feed Union soldiers.

Evidently the Weekes found the property's existing accommodations too small and plain to suit their tastes, because they erected what was aptly titled in land abstracts as a mansion. An early photograph shows a home that exuded elegance with three full brick stories and italianate styling. An abundance of tall, wide windows with deep wells of cast iron surrounded the house and two generous open porches existed that occupants might enjoy the few cool breezes of summer while viewing trees and other lush vegetation planted throughout property grounds. A long white picket fence defined each of the mansion's boundaries. Christoph Weeke probably gained the most enjoyment from what was said to be the largest windowed cupola built atop a house in St. Charles. Measuring 16 by 18 feet, it was surrounded by a "widow's walk."

The site's elevation and geographical appearance has changed a great deal since the Weekes' 1860's - 1890's residency. During the term of occupancy, the Weeke property held a spring, creek, and pond named Duquette, after the property's original forbearers. The water was the base of power for his mill. Fate intervened when the city decided to build gutters and sidewalks. He was forced to give up 10 feet of property and part of the pond was sacrificed, but the crux of his financial demise came when the city filled in the creek upon which his business relied. Borrowing money, Weeke began a mill on Main Street, but the change of venues did not lead to success. Due to sizeable debts, family heirs were forced to sell the mansion in 1891, but it sold for a considerable price.