DeFiniels Biography

Nicolas de Finiels, a fortifications engineer, was hired in Philadelphia in 1797 to oversee the building of the defenses at St. Louis. But Spanish officials in St. Louis viewed Finiels, a Frenchman, as a suspicious character and refused his assistance. With time on his hands, Finiels embarked upon a colossal project, mapping the Mississippi Valley during 1797-1798.

The Finiels map, which measures ten feet long and almost a yard wide, is a feat of artistry and accuracy of detail. This map of the central Mississippi valley stands apart from any other produced in the history of North America. Even now, Finiels hand translates an ancient time into a living one. The map details St. Louis, Carondelet, Prairie du Pont (“Prairie of the Bridge,” now Dupo, Illinois), Cahokia, River des Peres, Chouteau’s Pond above the town of St. Louis, the Commonfields, St. Charles, Cape Girardeau, Ste. Genevieve, and New Madrid. Tiny red squares represent houses, and he depicts each field under cultivation, the hills, and the green tinted Mississippi River.

"Courtesy of Service Historique de la Marine, France For more information,click on www.servicehistorique.marine.defense.gouv.fr "Map of part of the length of the Mississippi, from the Illinois River to just below New Madrid, including the part of Upper Louisiana known as Illinois" Author: Nicolas de Finiels Date: 1798