MMXVII Gazette de Les Amis du Fort de Chartres mars, avril, mai Jennifer Duensing, stepped up to host some of the some of the many site President, events in 2016, thus sharing structural repair projects and Les Amis du Fort de Chartres event planning work and partial everyday maintenance issues of “Friends of the Fort” financial responsibilities for the the site, as well as to plan and event. Also, our sincere thanks review ongoing future projects The year of are given to the Chasseurs du vital to the growth of the Fort 2017 is off to a Datchurats for hosting and site. We have two fundraising great start for sponsoring the 2016 April Trade events to benefit these efforts Les Amis du Faire and their willingness to on the calendar for this Fort de host this annual juried event upcoming year. The first 2017 again in 2017. This year Les site support fundraising effort Chartres, “Friends of Fort de Coureurs des Bois de Fort de is Les Amis’ 2nd annual Chartres”. Our membership Chartres will be hosting the 47th “Friends of the Fort” Summer drive is garnering great success Annual Rendezvous as well as Ball. This event will be held July with an ever increasing number the Winter Rendezvous, the 22nd at the Prairie du Rocher of supporters that have joined Fort affiliated British groups American Legion from 7-10 PM. our (membership) family, will be joining forces to host The second event will be a combining efforts with our 2016 this year’s French and Indian Brewfest at Fort de Chartres, members supporting Fort de War Encampment, while the Featuring a Taste of the Chartres. Our Fort de Chartres same WWII affiliated Fort Kaskaskia Cahokia Trail, Special Event Giving Campaign groups will again be hosting the coinciding with the World War for 2017 is underway, coinciding WWII event. Without the II Day event. This event will with the many event planning efforts of these Fort supporting take place on October 21st and meetings taking place, with organizations, the Fort’s special tickets will soon be available on many more being scheduled. events would not be possible. the Fort de Chartres website. As This year Les Amis du Fort de We all owe these organizations, a component of Les Amis’ Chartres will again sponsor the whether dedicated volunteers, efforts to support Fort de Fort’s special events, renting the participants, and/or visitors, our Chartres, Les Amis is in the site, and taking on the previous gratitude for their efforts and final stages of an agreement state sponsored event financial their continued support of Fort with the IHPA to reopen the responsibilities impacted by the de Chartres. site’s Trading Post. This Illinois state budget crisis. We exciting opportunity will be a thank our other Fort support With the start of our 2017Special Event Giving Campaign to vital tool in the ongoing organizations, Les Coureurs des financial issues at the site, as all Bois de Fort de Chartres, Fort de support the events at Fort de Chartres, Les Amis du Fort de proceeds from the post will be Chartres French Marines, and used to support the site. the affiliated WWII groups that Chartres has also begun the process to help raise funds for As many of you are aware, Les 2017 special events at Fort de Amis has been working Chartres State Historic Site. diligently with the site staff, the For updates or questions about These events are critical to the IHPA and many dedicated the Fort de Chartres State vitality of the Fort and the Historic Site, please contact region's economy. Les Amis volunteers to achieve progress Chester Wingerter (618) 589- sponsored the Fort’s 2016 special on the Fort’s much needed 3741. events through a successful repairs. Meetings with the IHPA fundraising campaign and we deputy director, IHPA architect, General information for Fort de have already begun sending out site staff, and Les Amis have led Chartres State Historic Site can donation requests to businesses to solid remediation plans and found on the Fort de Chartres and organizations in both the procedures needed to make website, including site history, Randolph and Monroe counties contact info, and/or event to become sponsors for the repairs. Work on the site has schedules: Fort’s special events in 2017. already begun with site staff www.fortdechartres.us We would like to commend and working on basic repair and _________________________ thank these first donors to the painting of the wooden window Les Amis du Fort de Chartres sills and panes. We also have 2017 Les Amis du Fort de 2017 Special Events new giving Chartres Officers campaign: plans in place for the destruction and reconstruction Les Amis du Fort de Chartres of the Fort Ghostings on the President, Jennifer Duensing 2017 Corporate Giving Campaign site. Also, repair procedure New Sponsors plans are under way for the fort First Vice-President, Jeremy walls, gate house, and interiors Volkmar $1000 Gold Level of buildings on the site, as well . Buena Vista National as rehabilitation of some of the Vice President of Events, Jason Bank, with Branches in Fort’s surrounding landscapes. Duensing Red Bud, Evansville, One of the projects on the Fort Chester, & Prairie du Treasurer, Deborah Sallman Rocher repair list was undertaken by our “Friend of the Fort Currently, Les Amis has two $500 Silver Level “volunteer Robbie Hooten. open officer positions. If anyone . First National Bank of is interested in being the Les Steeleville Robbie donated his time, effort, Amis Secretary or Vice and material to a much needed President of Educational Events, $250 Bronze Level repair to the maintenance shop please contact us at . Prairie du Rocher roof. We thank Robbie for his lesamisdufortdechartres@gmail. Chamber of Commerce efforts. com. ($300) . Harrisonville It is one of our major goals as a To keep abreast of current Telephone Company major Fort support organization information, activity, and events (HTC) ($250) to see these much-needed site of Les Amis and Fort de repairs begin, as well as provide Chartres State Historic site, $100 Copper Level a support system for the Fort likes us on Facebook: . Red Bud Industries, site that will help sustain it in www.facebook.com/Les-Amis- Inc. the future. Reaching this goal du-Fort-de-Chartres . General George Rogers will allow us to move forward Clark Chapter of the on the plans for the site that or visit the newly updated Fort Illinois Society of the were developed by our devoted Sons of the American de Chartres website at: Revolution predecessors. For Les Amis du www.fortdechartres.us Fort de Chartres membership . Total Eclipse, Inc. information and/or to volunteer __________________________ with us, we can be contacted via We ask that you let these and email at Les Amis du Fort de Chartres future donors know how much lesamisdufortdechartres@gmail. 2017 Special Event Fundraising their support of the Fort de com. Campaign Chartres Special Events is ________________________ appreciated! Working together Les Amis du Fort de Chartres, we can face the challenges of Chester Wingerter the Friends of Fort de Chartres, the future, while celebrating and Site Superintendent has again agreed to sponsor the preserving our unique past, making history come alive break for lunch midday and computer available for the through special events, and afterwards return to the firing library, please remember to ensuring the legacy of all those of the oven. Lunch is on one’s bring your lap top with you if who have worked, supported, you want to access this system and volunteered at our French own. (Lisa’s is always a good while at the fort. colonial fort in the heart of the option.) Illinois country-Fort de Two new books being released Chartres. Preregistration is required by this year were recently shared March 18 and class registration on Facebook posts. The first is If you would like to make a size limited to 10. Registration “Bone Tipped and Banded business or personal donation information at: for Fort de Chartres 2017 special http://www.fortdechartres.us/le Horns” by Jay Hopkins. This is events, you can do so online at: volume I of a two volume set http://www.fortdechartres.us/d s-amis-du-fort-de-chartres/ from a 50-year study on regional onate/ characteristics of professionally _________________________ We are still planning our April made powder horns. While the and May Art de vivre events, so focus is on powder horns of the Art de vivre (Art of life) Les please check the Fort website or south, it also includes examples our Facebook page for the latest from Illinois, Missouri, and Amis du Fort de Chartres Indiana. This volume is Demonstrations updates: approximately 400 pages in www.facebook.com/Les-Amis- length and has over 150 powder The monthly series of du-Fort-de-Chartres. Please horns illustrated and over 700 workshops sponsored by Les contact the Fort at (618) 284-7230 full color images. This limited Amis du Fort de Chartres or Les Amis via email at special edition hardcover book welcomes all to explore the art lesamisdufortdechartres@gmail. with slip case is available for com to request additional Art de pre-order through The of everyday life in the Illinois Honourable Company of country. Whether you are a vivre information. Please join Horners for $160. reenactor, history enthusiast, or us in upcoming adventures exploring life in the Illinois The second book is “Glories to just plain interested, these Useless Heroism: The Seven workshops celebrate the country! Years War in North America region’s history and are __________________________ from the French Journals of generally free and open to the Comte Maures de Malartic, 1755- De la Bibliotheque public at Fort de Chartres State 1760 (Reason to Revolution)” by Historic Site.