Visitors Guide to Washington
Franklin, Missouri
The city of Washington lies just across the Missouri River from the southeast corner of Saint Charles County in one of Missouri’s most popular winery regions. Washington was first settled during the rule of the Spanish Empire. It was originally called St. John Meyer's Settlement and was the site of the Spanish log fort, San Juan del Misuri (1796–1803). Family and followers of Daniel Boone settled the area across the river in nearby Defiance starting in 1799. In 1814 a ferry boat was licensed for crossing the Missouri River to the north and the settlement became known as Washington Landing, named after George Washington. In 1827 a town was laid out, with sale of lots starting in 1829. The cost of land was waived if the buyer could build a substantial house within two years. This was a way of encouraging that the town would flourish.
Substantial numbers of anti-slavery German families started moving to the town in 1833, and they soon overwhelmed the existing population of slave owners. However, many of the original slave owner's homes still remain throughout the town. Washington was a strong supporter of the Union cause during the American Civil War. The town was once ransacked by Confederate General Sterling Price's soldiers, but they were unable to keep control of the area.
After the war, Washington became a railroad and steamboat transportation center. Its manufacturing industry while strong, is not as vibrant as it was decades ago. Henry Tibbe and his son Anton began making corn-cob pipes in1869; that business would help put Washington, Missouri, on the map as the “Corncob Pipe Capital of the World.” The town of Washington has 445 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.
Many people use Washington as an overnight “hub” while they visit the area wineries. Washington lies in the center between the Hermann Wine Trail and the Augusta Weinstrasse. These two “roads” will lead you to all the wineries along Highway 94. Visitors can bike or walk the Katy Trail and the Washington Riverfront Trail, or explore the Daniel Boone Home and other historic sites.
