Ste. Genevieve’s Memorial Cemetery, established in 1787, includes the tombs and grave markers of the area’s earliest French pioneers as well as emigrants of German, Scottish and other heritages – slave, free and integrated spouses of African Americans and American Indians.The cemetery was closed in 1880 after more than 3,500 persons were buried in this two block area. Notables include Dr. Lewis F. Linn, known as Missouri’s Model Senator; Ferdinand Rozier, a business partner of John James Audubon; Jacques Guibourd, a French emigre who became one of the first judges after the Louisiana Purchase; Jean Baptist Vallé, named the first commandant by the new American government; a mass burial site for victims of an 1852 steamboat explosion; Joseph Hertich who founded a school near Ste. Genevieve named “The Asylum”; and the daughter of a Peoria Native American chief.The Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Genevieve has undertaken a restoration of this cemetery and annually presents its Missouri Humanities Council-award-winning Déjà vu Spirit Reunion there. Visitors to this event experience the stories of persons buried in the cemetery as they stroll through the cemetery on a lantern-lit tour. Proceeds from this event benefit the ongoing restoration efforts.