SHSMO Center for Missouri Studies
605 Elm St.
Columbia, Mo.
Author Greg Olson of Columbia's newest book in 2026 tells the story of Jeffrey Deroine (de-rō-NAY), an enslaved trader, prairie diplomat and Missouri settler. Born into slavery in St. Louis in 1806, Deroine worked and lived in the heart of a rapidly changing nation. Forced to work in the fur trade on the Missouri River, he gained his freedom and became an interpreter for the Ioway nation. Later, he participated in the founding of the frontier city of St. Joseph, Missouri.
The story of Jeffrey Deroine gives us a look both into the life of an enslaved man and the struggles of a free person of color in pre-Civil War Missouri and illustrates the nuanced intersectionality of lives on the American frontier. Deroine was a man of both French and African descent who lived much of his life among Indigenous people. Born into slavery, he became a free person of color who was a businessman, owned property, and enslaved others. His life defied expectations and stereotypes, and a consideration of it allows us to better understand the history of Missouri and the West.
Olson's books are available at the Richard Bookstore inside SHSMO Center for Missouri Studies. The author will be available for a book signing after his talk.