iUniverse Star Releases La Charrette: A History of the Village Gateway to the American Frontier

The missing link in the history of the American frontier

Lincoln, Neb. (November 1, 2005) - Several history books detail America's westward expansion, a number of which feature Lewis and Clark's long journey across uninhabited countryside and their discover of unforeseen terrain and astonishing beauty. According to author Lowell M. Schake, however, these historical accounts all have something missing: La Charette, a small Missouri village that lay on the edge of the American frontier.

That's why Schake, a native of this now-ghost town, wrote La Charrette: A History of the Village Gateway to the American Frontier to chronicle the significance of La Charrette Village to frontier history and multicultural studies.

"In my youth, the people and events of La Charrette Village fascinated me, as did all things 'western'… Indians, exploration, western migration and cowboys," Schake said. "These images continued as my professional career evolved. Once I began to research its history, La Charrette became my happy compulsion in my retirement."

As the last-known settlement west of the Missouri River, La Charrette played a pivotal role for travelers on their way to exploring the American frontier. It was there that they stopped to rest, to conduct their business, or to get maps and advice for their journey. It was there, in 1804, that Lewis and Clark camped for the night and gathered information on Missouri River conditions before continuing their expedition into the untamed West (and where, more than two years later, they were welcomed back to civilization). It was there, in 1806, that Zebulon Pike drew the first map of the Santa Fe Trail after villagers described it to him.

Schake's book is also important to the study of diversity. As a settlement of French and German settlers, Black slaves and American Indians, La Charrette was an early experiment in multiculturalism.

The rich multicultural history of this small Missouri town had languished in obscurity until this book was published. La Charrette offers a compelling look at the daily lives of frontier settlers—their hardships and their triumphs.

About the Publisher

iUniverse offers a variety of publishing services to help authors publish, market, and sell fiction, poetry, and nonfiction books. The company is one of the largest publishers in the United States, publishing more than 5,000 new titles each year. iUniverse partners with industry leading author organizations, including the Authors Guild, the Harlem Writers Guild, and the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) to bring innovative programs to their members. The company's major investors include Warburg Pincus and Barnes & Noble.

The iUniverse Star program is designed to identify, celebrate, and support titles that display a high level of editorial quality and have shown promising levels of book sales. Star titles receive industry-standard discounts at book retailers and are fully returnable.