Mine La Motte, 4 miles north of Fredericktown, and 2 1/2 miles from the station of that name, is an unusual town, not having any saloons, and contains about 300 inhabitants, principally miners and mechanics, and mostly steady working citizens.

Campbell's Gazetteer Of Missouri - 1875 

Mine La Motte Township

A famous mine in the central part of La Motte Township, probably the oldest mine in Missouri. It is still a matter of contention among historians as to how old the mines are and for whom they were named. On one side are those who believe that the mines were discovered by Philip Francis Renault in 1720. Renault had left France in 1719 with 200 artisans to look for silver in this territory which then belonged to France.

He stopped in St. Domingo and bought 500 slaves. With this group of 700 people he came up the river from New Orleans, stopped near Fort Chartres, Illinois, and sent out exploring expeditions. One man in his company was La Motte, a mineralogist. On one of these expeditions Mine La Motte was discovered. In 1723 Renault got a concession of "two leagues of ground at the mine called Mine de la Mothe."

Then, according to this group Renault, not having found the silver for which he was searching, returned to France. La Motte remained and the lead mine was developed, attracting little attention, however, for many years.

According to the second group, the mine was really discovered in 1714 by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who came to Canada in 1683, established a post in 1701 at what was later Detroit, was appointed Governor-General of Louisiana in 1710, came to New Orleans in 1712, and visited Fort de Chartres in 1714.

While there he went on an expedition of exploration and discovered lead at the place which is now Mine La Motte. This group, then, place the date of discovery in 1714 and say the mine was named for La Mothe (or Motte), Cadillac and not the mineralogist who happened to be in Renault's party.

This, they argue, is why Renault came, the Governor-General reported his discovery of mineral and Renault organized his party at La Mothe Cadillac's insistence. Schoolcraft, who made a report on mines in the Illinois Country in 1819, believed the mines were discovered by Renault and La Motte.

He is copied by Beck (1823), Peck (1831), and Wetmore (1837). Houck, however, insisted he had records to prove it was De la Mothe Cadillac who discovered the mine, whereas Schoolcraft had merely asserted a La Motte was with Renault.

Later, local historians, among them Thompson, have concluded that there were the two men and that the mine was named for La Motte Cadillac.

The mine was puiblic property 1738-40. In 1763 it was worked by members of the Valle family (from Ste. Genevieve), and in 1800 J.B. Pratte, St. Gemme Beauvois, Francis and J.B. Valle purchased the mine from the Valles, to whom the Spanish government had granted it.

In 1827 the grant was confirmed by the U.S. Government and sold in 1838 to C. C. Valle, L.F. Linn and E. E. Pratte who leased the land to miners in 40-acre tracts. The entire tract had 24,000 acres.

Since that time the property has changed owners many times, and is now owned by the Fredericktown Mining Company.

The village of Mine La Motte grew up around the mine, as did many other small "villages" or settlements.

(Ferguson, Andrews, Thompson, Schoolcraft (1819), Beck (1823), Peck (1831), Wetmore (1837), History of Mine La Motte (pamphlet), Conard, Houck I 279, Douglass I 379, 182)

Source:  The State Historical Society  of Missouri

                Hamlett, Mayme L. "Place Names Of Six Southeast Counties Of Missouri." M.A. thesis.,                 University of Missouri-Columbia, 1938.

Mine La Motte Station   

The railroad station on the Missouri Pacific Railroad named for Mine La Motte (q.v.).

It was sometimes called Lead Station.

Source:  The State Historical Society  of Missouri

                Hamlett, Mayme L. "Place Names Of Six Southeast Counties Of Missouri." M.A. thesis.,                 University of Missouri-Columbia, 1938.

Mine La Motte Township  

In the northern part of the county. It was first established as a special voting precinct in St. Michael Township in 1856.

In 1909 it was made a municipal Township.  The name is that of the district around old Mine La Motte (q.v.) (County Court Record)

Source:  The State Historical Society  of Missouri

                Hamlett, Mayme L. "Place Names Of Six Southeast Counties Of Missouri." M.A. thesis.,                 University of Missouri-Columbia, 1938.

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