Ste. Genevieve County is located on the west bank of the Mississippi River approximately south of St. Louis. Ste. Genevieve is the principal town and the county seat of Ste. Genevieve County with a population of around 5,000 people. Ste. Genevieve was the first permanent civilized settlement in Missouri. The actual date of establishment is, like many other dates, connected to genealogy. There is a conflict of opinion as to the exact year depending on the preferred source. The year 1735, according to Goodspeed's "History of Southeast Missouri", and most of the descendants of the early settlers, is the most generally accepted date. Dr. Carl J. Ekberg, in his book, "Colonial Ste. Genevieve", is of the opinion that the date of the establishment of Ste. Genevieve is closer to 1750, based on interpretations of early letters, maps, and Catholic Church documents. Regardless of which date one wishes to believe, Ste. Genevieve is about 250 years old.