Florissant is a community of over 50,000 people situated in North St Louis County. It is a progressive and thriving town with a reputation for being 'warm & friendly'.
Our city has a rich history steeped in both American and Catholic significance. The date the first settlers came to the rich, fertile Valley of Florissant is unknown, but it is one of the oldest settlements in the state of Missouri. Some historians believe it was settled about the same time as St. Louis. The first civil government was formed in 1786 by Francois Dunegant who served as the civil and military commandant. Spanish archives in Havana reveal that there were 40 people and 7 plantations in Florissant at the time of the 1787 census. The village called "Fleurissant" by its French settlers and "St. Ferdinand" by its Spanish rulers was a typical French village with its commons and common fields.
St. Ferdinand's parish was established in 1789 and soon became the community center at what is now the Spanish Land Grant Park. The present church was constructed in 1821 and is believed to be the oldest Catholic church in the upper Louisiana territory as well as the oldest standing church of any denomination west of the Mississippi including all of the Louisianna Purchase Territory. St. Ferdinand Shrine was an active parish until 1955.
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