Henry von Phul 1784-1874

Birth:

Aug. 14, 1784

Death:

Sep. 8, 1874

Businessman. Henry Von Phul was one of the most successful of the pioneer businessmen in St. Louis' early history. In 1811, von Phul came to St. Louis from Philadelphia. Shortly thereafter, he took a keel boat to New Orleans, then to Madeiras.

He returned to St. Louis and established a general store. After steamboats started to land in St. Louis, he became owner of some of the largest boats. While he had started out on his own in business, he later took on partners and ultimately built a business that was one of the largest in the West.

Von Phul held many distinguished positions in St. Louis, and his honor and trustworthiness were never questioned. Any action or plan to build up the city, expand its commerce or promote its attractiveness received his encouragement and support.

He married Rosalie Saugrain in 1816, and in 1874, he and his wife celebrated their fifty-eighth anniversary. They received congratulatory letters from all quarters. Shortly thereafter, he was taken ill and died. Before he died, he insisted upon paying every dollar he morally or legally owed, with interest. Final settlements were made in accordance with his notion of right, despite its significant impact on his fortune.

Antoine F. Saugrain 1763-1820

Dr. Antoine Francois Saugrain was born 17 February 1763 in Versailles, France – died 5 March 1820 in St. Louis, Missouri. Saugrain was educated in Paris as a physician and chemist by Antoine Fourcroy and Mathurin-Jacques Brisson.

In 1783 he traveled to North America to serve as a mineralogist for

Gilbert Antoine de St. Maxent at New Orleans, where he was admitted to the practice of surgery. In 1787 Dr. Saugrain traveled to the United States bearing a letter of introduction to Benjamin Franklin. He became part of a scientific expedition to explore the Ohio River led by the botanist Picque in 1788. However, Saugrain was injured during an Indian raid and returned to France. Dr. Saugrain was soon forced to flee France because of his royalist beliefs at the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789.

He returned to the United States and helped found a French émigré community at Gallipolis, Ohio. It was there that he married Genevieve Rosalie Michau on March 20, 1793. In 1799 the Saugrains moved to St. Louis. Dr. Saugrain was the city's only physician until the United States took possession of St. Louis following the Louisiana Purchase.

Saugrain prepared specimens for Meriwether Lewis to send to President Thomas Jefferson in early 1804. He also provided the Lewis and Clark expedition with medical supplies.

Dr. Saugrain was the first physician west of the Mississippi river to use the Jenner cowpox vaccine to prevent smallpox, beginning in 1809. From a public health perspective, his willingness to vaccinate anyone, regardless of ability to pay is especially noteworthy. The Missouri State Historical Society has a copy of an advertisement of Dr. Saugrain’s offering vaccine to all persons of indigent circumstances as well as to doctors who lived outside of his practice area.

Outside of medicine Dr. Saugrain also had interests in mineralogy, physics and chemistry. Saugrain experimented with early versions of phosphorus matches and manufactured thermometers and barometers at Gallipolis.