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BELGIANS IN AMERICA:    Biographies of Belgian settlers  

Aimée GUINOTTE - BRICHAUT 

Guinotte, Aimee Brichaut, was born at Brussels, Belgium, in 1823. Her father, Jean Brichaut, was connected in an official capacity with the mint of Brussels, where his father and grandfather before him held the same position. Madame Guinotte received her earlier education in the academies of Brussels, going to Cambrai, France, to complete her studies. In 1852, she sailed for New York to meet and marry Joseph Guinotte, also of Belgium, and an old friend of the Brichaut family. They were married by Archbishop Hughes, of New York City.

Mr. Guinotte was a highly educated civil engineer, and always contended that some day there would be a large city where Kansas City is now located. Convinced of this, he bought immense tracts of land on the bluffs and in the east bottoms. For his home site he had selected one of the high bluffs overlooking the Missouri River. This bluff was then covered by a dense forest, from which were hewn the logs that were used in the construction of the house. The log house was in later years weather-boarded. It was built in the old southern style, with wide hall through the center and rooms on both sides.

These rooms measured about twenty-one feet square, which made it a marvel in size for a log house. To this wilderness, for such it seemed to her in comparison to the lovely city of Brussels, Mr. Guinotte brought his bride. In those days of Indian missionaries and traders, Mr. Guinotte's home was a favorite stopping place for those hardy pioneers who had left civilization behind. Among those who enjoyed its gracious hospitality were the honored Father de Smet, Bishop L'Ami of Mexico; Bishop Miege and Bishop Salpointe, of Arizona and Mexico. Among the traders who were often. made welcome were the famous Captain Bridger, Vasquez, the Papins, the Chouteaus and many others. These visits, especially those of the French missionaries, were intellectual oases to the educated of this wilderness.

Here the Guinotte children were born and reared, and once more its hospitality was extended to many young people of Kansas City, who can recall the pleasant hours spent within its walls and under the shade of its forest trees. Mr. Guinotte did not live to see realized his fondest dream-the building of a large city-but Mrs. Guinotte has had that great satisfaction, and is still noted for her great activity and energy, and her interest in charity work. Her children are J. E. Guinotte, judge of the Probate Court of Jackson County; Mrs. W. B. Teasdale,. Mrs. W. H. Clarke-both of whom have been so closely identified with schools-and J. K. Guinotte, an architect. The family remained in the old home, which is situated on Troost Avenue, opposite the Karnes School, till disagreeable encroachments forced them to leave in 1889. Time has laid a heavy hand on the old home, and it is no longer what it once was. It is now occupied by a family of Hollanders, who try to keep it from utter decay. One of the small houses on the place is used by Mr. George Sass, the artist, as a studio. The house has stood for so many years as a landmark that it is painful to realize that in a few years it will be only a memory. 

Sources: Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri, a compendium of history and biography for ready reference. Edited By Howard L. Conard, The Southern History Company, 1901, Vol. III p. 137-138; 
The Kansas City Star; February 14, 1926 for the illustration

The same year - 1901 -, a newspaper article gave the following account :

A HOME OF FIFTY YEARS AGO - A landmark of pioneer days on the Troost avenue bluff. - House to Which Mrs Guinotte Was Brought as a Bride, From Brussels, in 1852 - Her Early Recollections

... Mr Guinotte had been the agent of the Belgian government and sickness among his colonists prevented him from going to Brussels after his bride, Aimee Brichaut. Mr Guinotte had been an old friend of the Brichaut family and the engagement had been of long standing. He met his bride in New York in 1852, where they were married by Archbishop Hughes. The bridal tour was the journey West by way of Saint Louis. Few of those who came West in an early day were so illy prepared for pionner life as the bride of Joseph Guinotte. Born in Brussels of a family which had lived for generations a life of ease amid luxuriant surroundings, her journey's end was a home in the forest on civilization's remotest border. She spoke no English and knew nothing of the American Indian. Her trousseau was the marvel of the Western country.

Mrs. Guinotte now lives with her daughter, Mrs. William B. Teasedale; at 1004 Lydia avenue. Time has dealt kindly with her. She has the vivacity of her race and when she talks of. her coming to Kansas City her eyes kindle with the fire of youth and her gestures are the rapid angular movements which is characteristic of her people. Her pronounced French accent helps to give one a clearer picture of the time. Her words. come without. effort - a French word slipping in now and then in the lively narrative. It is all charming, but it defies reproduction. One must content himself with putting in prosaic English a piquant mixture of good English and perfect French.

"When 'we reached St. Louis," said Mrs. Guinotte "the friends of Mr. Guinotte and my own family thought it was out of the question to even consider my going on to Kansas City. 'What will this child do there!' they asked. And my dresses! My, how they did seize upon those for patterns. How well I remember. And when we came on to Kansas city, oh, what a surprise ! I looked about me for the city. I could not find it. All I saw was the woods. It was a long distance from our house to the settlement at that time. We were far out. But the scenery was beautiful-the most beautiful. view from the bluff down the river. My husband thought Kansas City would be a big city. I can remember well how he talked about building railroads from St. Louis. But the others did not want any railroads. 'What do we want with railroads?' , they said. Also he wanted to let the hills alone. 'Some day It will be a beautiful city.' he said. for be had seen Brussels. - But no; they must cut the hills down just as fast as they could.

"All the women wore sunbonnets then. My husband wanted me to wear one. I said no; never will I wear those horrid things. In the winter it was a quilted sunbonnet, in the summer gingham. O, they looked terrible to me! But my husband finally brought me one from St. Louis. He asked me to wear it to church. How long I cried that night. Cried myself to sleep but I wore it to church.

"We had two churches in Kansas City at that time.' a .'Catholic church and a Protestant church: All the Protestant denominations used the Protestant church, although I think the Methodists built it. We had many visits from the Catholic bishops in those days. The Indians all liked the Catholic missionaries. I remember them now; grand old Father De Smet. Bishop Miege and Solpointe of Mexico and Bishop L'Ami.

"Oh, but we had: hard times. Everything must wait until we could get a boat from St. Louis. If the pane in the window broke we must stuff shucks in a bag and put it in the hole. Sometimes we would have no sugar. We must wait for the boat. But we had plenty, of chickens. We could eat them. And of meat we had all kinds. Everybody rode on horseback then. If we wanted to visit a neighbor we put the saddle on the horse and off we started. - We rode everywhere in those days. I was not afraid. They told me I must make friend with the Indians. It would not do to be cross with them, they said. The Indians then camped on the bluff east of our house. Let me see, it was between hat is now Lydia and Forest avenues, I think. I got along with them. When they came to the house I would. put out my hand and give them something to eat. They would grunt so, and go away."

... Mrs. Guinotte lived at the old homestead until 1889. By this time the manufactures in the East bottoms; the gas works and the character of buildings all about them forced their removal. Mrs. Guinotte visited her old home in Brussels for a year, the first visit since her coming to Kansas City in 1852.

"Here my children are" she said, "and here I wanted to live until the close of my days. But the early days, they were horrible".

Another newspaper article printed in 1914 add :

"In the Civil War she did as her ancestors in Belgium had done for centuries before in times of trouble - and there had been many of them. All silver and other valuables were buried in the ground, in the cellar beneath the house. The silver is being used daily in the homes of grandchildren".