Sketch of the Audrain Family, St. Charles County, Missouri

>From "A History of the Pioneer Families of Missouri, with numerous
sketches, anecdotes, adventures, etc., relating to Early Days in 
Missouri" by William S. Bryan and Robert Rose, Published by Bryan,
Brand & Co., St. Louis Missouri, 1876.
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Peter Audrain was a native of France, but came to America at an early
date, and settled in Pennsylvania, where he married Margaret Moore.  He
subsequently moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he became an influential 
citizen, and was Marshal of the Territory at the time of his death.  He
had seven children, three of whom, James H., Peter G. and Margaret, who
settled in Missouri.  James H., was born in Pennsylvania, December 29,
1782, and was married to Mary E. Wells, of Louisville, Kentucky on Dec-
ember 23, 1806.  He settled at Fort Wayne, Indiana, and engaged in mer-
chandising.  During the War of 1812 he was commissioned Captain of the
Volunteers, and saw some hard service.  He was afterwards appointed
Colonel of the Militia.  In 1816 he moved his family to Missouri, in a
flat boat, and after remaining a short time at St. Louis, he settled on
Peruque Creek, in St. Charles County, where he soon after built a mill
and a distillery.  The mill was run by a tread wheel, on which he work-
ed young bulls, and he often had as many as twenty of these animals at
one time.  This led a loquacious citizen of the community to give it 
the name of "Bull's Hell Mill", by which it became generally known.  In
1830 Col. Audrain was elected a member of the Legislature, and he died
November 10, 1831, at the house of Gov. Clark, in St. Louis, Missouri.
His remains were conveyed to his home in a hearse, which was the first
hearse ever seen in St. Charles County.  When Audrain county was organ-
ized in 1836, it was named in honor of Colonel Audrain.  Mrs. Audrain
died about three years after the death of her husband.  Their children
were: Samuel W., Peter G., James H., Margaret, Benjamin O., Ann A.,
Francis B., Thomas B. and Mary F.  The latter was born on the flat boat
in 1816, while they were ascending the Mississippi River.  Col. Audrain
and his wife were baptised in Peruque Creek, below his mill.  The Col.
was a very stout man, and won a wager of $10 in St. Charles, one day,
by carrying eight bushels of wheat, at one time, up three flights of
stairs.

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