Visiting Rocheport, Missouri · Town guide
A Short History of Rocheport, Missouri
Rocheport was platted in 1825 on the north bank of the Missouri River, below limestone bluffs the Lewis and Clark Expedition passed in 1804. Steamboats, then the Katy railroad, then the trail each shaped the town.
A short history of Rocheport
- 1804The Lewis and Clark Expedition passes the bluffs at the mouth of Moniteau Creek on June 7.
- 1825Rocheport is platted on the north bank of the Missouri River; the name joins the French roche (rock) and port (harbor).
- 1830sSteamboats carry goods and passengers between St. Louis and the frontier through the town's warehouses.
- 1892–93The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad cuts a 243-foot tunnel through the bluff; the railroad reaches town in 1893.
- TodayThe historic district, with buildings from about 1830, is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the old rail bed is the Katy Trail.
Lewis & Clark and the Missouri River
The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed the bluffs at Rocheport on June 7, 1804. At the mouth of Moniteau Creek, William Clark described "Several Courious Paintings and Carveing" on the limestone, inlaid with white, red and blue flint.
The creek and the bluffs keep the name Moniteau, or Manitou, from the Algonquian word for the Great Spirit. The paintings Clark saw are gone. Other rock art from the wider Manitou Bluffs survives about four miles downstream near Torbett Spring. The best place to see the stretch of river the expedition travelled is the overlook at the A-Frame on the bluff above town.
The river still draws racers, not just history. Every summer the MR340 runs paddlers past Rocheport on their way from Kansas City to St. Charles; see the race map for the live tracker in race week and a replay of past years.
The river town
Rocheport was platted in 1825. Its name joins the French roche (rock) and port (harbor), for the limestone bluffs and the river landing. By the 1830s steamboats were carrying goods and passengers between St. Louis and the frontier through its warehouses. Much of the original street grid is still intact, and the historic district, with buildings dating from about 1830, is on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Walk the Heritage Trail: a free ten-stop walking tour of historic Rocheport on your phone, from the Friends of Rocheport Historical Museum.
Historic sites
- Arrow Rock State Historic Site
- Boone’s Lick State Historic Site
- Les Bourgeois Bluff & Winery
- Lewis & Clark Camp Site Area (Old Rock House)
- Mosswood House
- Original Rocheport Townsite (1825 Plat)
- Rocheport Depot & Railroad History
- Rocheport Tunnel (Katy Trail)
- Thespian Hall (Boonville)
What the journals saw at the Manitou Bluffs · All historic sites
More Rocheport guides
- The Katy Trail and the tunnel: Distances, surface, seasons, trail manners, and the only tunnel on the trail.
- Things to do, and the year in Rocheport: What to do in town, and the festivals and markets by season.
- Nature and the night sky: Wetlands, birds, the Big Bur Oak, and tonight's sky over Rocheport.
- Wineries, dining, lodging and shops: Les Bourgeois Vineyards, The Rocheport Winery, and the directory of places to eat, stay and shop.
- Plan your trip: maps and basics: Maps, restrooms, water, bike rental, cell service, accessibility, river levels and the trip planner.
Questions visitors ask
When was Rocheport, Missouri founded?
Rocheport was platted in 1825 on the north bank of the Missouri River. The name joins the French roche (rock) and port (harbor). Its historic district, with buildings from about 1830, is on the National Register of Historic Places.
When did Lewis and Clark pass Rocheport?
The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed the bluffs at the mouth of Moniteau Creek on June 7, 1804. William Clark described several curious paintings and carvings on the limestone there.