A new exhibit at the Sainte Genevieve Museum Learning Center highlights the town’s 1935 Bicentennial celebration, recently introduced with a ribbon cutting.
Two hundred years after its founding, Sainte Genevieve marked the occasion in August 1935 with one of the largest celebrations in its history. A four-night historical pageant titled “Mother of the West” was staged August 19 through 22, drawing visitors from across the region and presenting scenes from the town’s French colonial beginnings.
The final evening was opened by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who addressed the crowd by telephone from the White House, bringing national attention to Missouri’s oldest European settlement.
With the Tricentennial approaching in 2035, the exhibit offers a thoughtful look at how the community once honored 200 years and how it may prepare to mark 300.