The small area (about 12 by 10 miles) where Osage Village State Historic Site is located, contains almost all of the Osage sites and early French and American sites relating to the Osage in Missouri.
1. Osage Village Site
The site on which you are now standing is the earliest known Osage Indian village in western Missouri. It was the home of the Little Osage and the Big Osage from before the time of their first European recording until 1717 when the Little Osage moved north to the Missouri River. The Big Osage continued to live here until perhaps as late as 1775.
2. Late Big Osage Village Site
Located to the west is the only other Big Osage village site in the area. It was occupied from about 1775 until they moved from Missouri about 1823.
3. Little Osage Village Site
Located north of the Little Osage River, this site was occupied from the time the Little Osage moved back to the area (probably in the 1780s) until they also moved west to Kansas around 1823.
4. Fort Carondolet
Although the exact location of the fort has never been discovered, it is believed to have been located northeast of here. The fort was not occupied very long. It was built in 1795 by the Chouteaus and was abandoned in 1802 when Manuel Lisa was granted Chouteau's trade monopoly with the Osage. A number of houses were associated with the fort. The militia at the fort and others apparently settled in the vicinity of the fort. In 1806, Zebulon Pike noted 10 houses east of the original location of the fort.
5. Lisa's Post
Manuel Lisa built his post in 1802 about halfway between the Big Osage and the Little Osage villages and near the junction of the Little Osage and Marmaton rivers. Although Lisa's monopoly was cancelled by the Americans, he continued to trade with the Osage. By 1822, the post was still standing but had been abandoned.
6. Chouteau's Second Trading House
Sometime after 1808, Chouteau built a second trading house southeast of Papinsville. This appears to have been a relatively small operation, since Chouteau was already trading with a large number of Osage on the Arkansas River.
7. Osage Factory
In the spring of 1821, a trading post was built on or near the present site of Papinsville. The post was an extension of Fort Osage since the Osage had moved away from the vicinity of the fort. This trading post lasted only a few years until the Osage left the area.
8. Harmony Mission
Built in 1821 just northwest of present-day Papinsville, the mission consisted of several communal buildings, including a church, school, and grist mill, and 10 houses for the people of the mission. Like the Osage factory, the mission existed only a short time before the Osage moved west to Kansas.
9. Blue Mound
This large hill is said to be the burial site of a number of prominent Osage chiefs. The last one thought to have been buried here was Pawhuska (or White Hairs around 1824.
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