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Glimpses of Prairie Du Rocher, Illinois, History from 1722 to 1942

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Glimpses of Prairie Du Rocher, Illinois, History from 1722 to 1942 977 39Z G4-39 '^^UECHLER PRINTIMG Q-^. OF Rnrf.l^^ PRAIRit Du 9T7.39E (54-99 Oiltmpggg of Its Past and Present History 1722-1942 With Illustrations Published B>' BUECHLER PRIKTIXP CO. 332 Vv''est Main S-:reet Belleville, Illirxis oy GLIMPSES of PRAIRIE du ROCHER Its History From 1722 to 1942 Intimately Linked With That of Randolph County and of the State of Illinois \^'r\nen and Compiled, bv an Editorial flnd Feature 'Writer Published by the Buechler Printing Co., i32 West Main St., Beliei'ille, 111. January, 1942 CourteFv F^tleral Reserv FORT DE CHARTRES STATE PARK, RANDOLPH COUNTY, ILLINOIS ,4^ AERIAL VIEW OF The Fort, seat of civil and military government in the Illinois Country for half a centur>', was first forts in completed in 1720. In 1753-56 it was rebuilt of stone and became one of the strongest North America. Fort de Chartres was occupied by a French garrison until 1765. It was the seat of the 191,". British Government in the Illinois Country until 1722. The site was made a State Park in - -^^ GLIMPSES OF PRAIRIE DU ROCHER ITS EARLY BEGINNINGS :—Just as the history of building of the fort, commandant of the Illinois country. IlHnois has been a part of the history of the nation, The fort was named for the Due de Chartres, son of so has been the history of Prairie du Rocher, one the Regent of France. of the earhest settlements of the State of IlHnois. Prairie du Rocher received its name from the rock Peoria, long known as Pimitoui was established in 1691. bluifs at the bottom of which the little village was located, Cahokia in 1699, Kaskaskia in 170.^, Prairie du Rocher in and where it is today so beautifully situated. 1722. To keep the lines between Canada and Louisiana Fort de Chartres was barely done when there arrived open, to protect the scattered settlements along the Mis- at the village of St. Anne, which was the mother village sissippi Valley, forts were built, one of the most preten- of Prairie du Rocher, a Frenchman, Phillipe Francois tious being that of Fort de Chartres in 1720, and two Renault, a representative of the Company of the West, years later, in 1722, the first rude cabins of the little ham- to engage in mining and prospecting operations. He had let to be known as Prairie du Rocher were erected on its left France in the Spring of 1719, with two hundred Hist, Br}cke\ Home at Prairie du Roclier present site, We picture one of the early cabins in this miners, laborers, and a full complement of mining uten- publication. sils. the to the Province of Louisiana he bought, in The town was founded by Jean Theresa Langlois, a On way to work the mines nephew of Pierre Boisbriant who arrived from France in St. Domingo, five hundred negroes desired to establish. large number December, 1718, and started the erection of a fort which and plantations he A was called Fort de Chartres, and which was completed of these slaves were brought to the Illinois district. in 1720. It was built of logs, and was considered very From Fort de Chartres and Prairie du Rocher Renault excellent for defense purposes. It served the Illinois sent his e.xpert miners and skilled workmen in ever>' di- Country- for a half century. In 17i.V56, it v.as rebuilt rection hunting for precious metals. The bluffs skirting of stone and became one of the strongest forts in North the American Bottoms on the East were diHgently America. Fort de Chartres was occupied by a French searched for minerals, but nothing encouraging was found. garrison until 1765. It was the first seat of British Gov- In what is now Jackson, Randolph and St. Clair coun- ernment in the Illinois Country until 1772. The site ties the ancient traces of furnaces were visible as late as was made a State Park in 191?. 1850. Silver Creek, which runs south and through Mad- ison and St. Clair counties, was so named on the suppo- Pierre Dugue de Boisbriant was, at the time of the sition that the metal was plentiful along that stream. HISTORY AND GLIMPSES OF PRAIRIE du ROCHER THE DAWN OF PRAIRIE DU ROCHER:—It HcmSES AND CATTLE INTRODUCED:— was during the year 1722 that the village of Prarie Horses and cattle were introduced in this vicinity du Rocher was begun. It was then, as it is now, very early. It is said the cattle came from Can- located near the bluffs, due East from Fort de Chartres, ada, while the horses were of Arabian strain and were about three and a half miles. Early history tells us that brought from the Southwest by the Spaniards. It is not some of the houses were built of stone, there being an to be understood that the cultivation of the soil was of abundance of that material in the bluffs just back of the a very high order in 1772, and for some decades after. village. To this village was then granted a very large Utensils were crude. The plows were of wood and were Common which it holds to this day. This Common is usually drawn by oxen. The oxen were fastened to- about thre miles square and lies back of the village on the gether by the horns, by means of a flat piece of wood, uplands. not as later on yokes as was customary with the English. The first little village was probably like others of the Wagons were usually small two-wheeled carts, made by frontier. It consisted of a straggling lot of crude cabins, the early settlers themselves, usually with little iron, and built without reference to definitely platted streets, and were pulled' or pushed by hand, seldom by horses or oxen. constructed with no pretentions to architectural beauty. Its inhabitants were French, and Indians, and Negro. The industrial life of these people consisted of fishing CROPS AND FLOWERS:—The crops and hunting, cultivation of the soil, some grist and flour EARLY of the early French settlers were cultivated milling, some lumber milling and tanning of hides. Mining by themselves and by slaves or indentured servants. was not then extensively engaged in. Coal was not dis- settlers of Prairie du Rocher were given to the covered at so early a day, and the forests provided abund- The much cultivation of small fruits, and flowers. Cherry, apple, ant fuel. peach and plum trees grew in every yard. Large beds The fishing, done with hickory pole and line, the hunt- ot flowers cultivated, wild flowers were gathered ing with blunderbuss and bow and arrow was partly a were and in abundance to adorn and church. pastime, but the table of the early French settlers of Prairie homes late as 182'), LaFayette visited Kaskaskia, du Rocher was often liberally supplied from this source. As when Cahokia and St. Louis, the French inhabitants searched The soil was fertile and yielded abundantly to only a very the woods for wild flowers and the banquet hall at Kas- slight cultivation. Wheat was early grown and the grain kaskia and the Jarrott Mansion at Cahokia, where he and was ground in a crude water mill, from which developed feasted dined, literally filled the giant Prairie du Rocher Mills of the present day. his entourage were and were with flowers. As early as 1722 the settlers had swine and black cat- tle. The cultivation of the grape was also begun at an early date, and the excellent vintage produced, graced many a festive table, social life when community and EARLY FRENCH GOVERNMENT:—In 1717 the began to be more settled and secure. The Indians round Illinois country became a district of the French about Prairie du Rocher raised poultry, spun the wool Province of Louisiana, and was governed by a of the Buffalo and wove a cloth which they dyed black, major commandant, who, besides exercising military pow- yellow or red, from vegetable dyes extracted from ber- ers supervised fur trading and agriculture. Other dis- ries bark. and Later on woolen and silk cloth was brought trict officers were a doctor, a notary, and interpreter, from France and Canada, and these were woven and and a judge who administered the coutume de Paris or fashioned into the clothes of early days. common law of Paris. Each village maintained a militia company, the captain of which was an agent of the dis- trict judge and the major commandant. SOCIAL LIFE OF EARLY SETTLERS—The so- Although there was no legal basis for local govern- cial life of the early settlers of Prairie du Rocher, as ment, that function was admirably performed by mar- of other settlements, was one of pleasure. It is said guilliers (church wardens) elected by the parishioners of they passed much of their time in singing, dancing and the Catholic churches of Cahokia, Kaskaskia and Prairie gaming. Long time ago they organized a society known du Rocher. In addition to accounting of church property, ever since as La Guignolle, which annually in May had, the marguilliers passed acts concerning the time of har- and still has a grand celebration and song and dance fes- vest, fence repair, and in short the general welfare of the tival. At this festival a May ^ueen was chosen and village. crowned. During late years this custom has been ex- We refer on another page to the election of judges tended, and girls from other localities are sometimes for this district. One of these judges, in later days, was chosen as MAT ^UEEJ{, a custom not to he commended.
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