Illinois’ First Road St. Clair County Monroe County Randolph County Holy Family Church, CAHOKIA Trail Ride Re-enactment, WATERLOO PRAIRIE DU ROCHER Fort de Chartres, Welcome to the King’s Road Meramec Rivers converge with ing Louis XV of the Mississippi and throughout France, that is! French history provided reliable Kcolonists gave this name to the transportation for exploration, Kaskaskia-Cahokia Trail (KCT) settlement and trade, with in the early 1700s. More than overland trails used to access 300 years later, the route is still interior lands beyond and traveled in Southwestern Illinois. between the rivers. In this region, the Illinois, The KCT can be traced to Missouri, Ohio, Kaskaskia and American Indian people around 2 Welcome 11,000 BC whose migrations Today, the Kaskaskia-Cahokia created the trail for economic Trail is part of the St. Louis trade, government and social/ metropolitan area. The 60-mile religious purposes. These first long auto tour route connects inhabitants over time built large visitors with many opportunities civilizations with mound cities to discover the region’s diverse along the trail. Their use of the heritage. Explore the history of trail continued into historic native cultures, French colonial periods, introducing the route roots, Revolutionary War to the first French explorers era settlement, early Illinois and colonists in the late 1600s. statehood, westward expansion, When the French established European permanent immigration settlements and agricultural at Kaskaskia significance along and Cahokia the Trail. in 1699, they The alluvial named these bottomlands and villages after dramatic bluffs of the local Illini the scenic Middle people. Mississippi River These colonial Valley uniquely villages and shape the natural the overland landscape of the Kaskaskia Indian KCT, led to the Trail. Rolling establishment oak-hickory forests, of other forts and settlements prairies and farmlands including over the next 100 years along the quaint, historic villages and east side of the Mississippi River rural back roads make this 60- Valley. This first road spawned mile journey one you will never many routes for expanded forget. growth that led to Illinois becoming the 21st state in 1818, with Kaskaskia serving as the first state capital. For more information, please visit KCTrailIllinois.org 3 Thomas Hutchins’ 1778 Map of the Kaskaskia-Cahokia Trail THE UPLAND TRAIL AND THE BOTTOMLAND TRAIL During historic settlement of the Kaskaskia and Cahokia region, there were two main overland trails developed and used to connect the villages of Kaskaskia and Cahokia- a predominately upland trail and a bottomland trail on the Mississippi River floodplain. The bottomland trail traversed the American Bottom floodplain from Kaskaskia to Prairie du Rocher and on to Columbia, Prairie du Pont (Dupo) and Cahokia. The trail was often impassable during high river levels and wet periods. Over time, due to its unreliability for passage, its importance diminished and it disappeared. Today the scenic Bluff Road on the American Bottoms is promoted for touring and represents the bottomland trail route. The upland trail from Prairie du Rocher to Cahokia was a more reliable route that did not flood and was easier to use and maintain, so over time it was a continuously developed roadway that is in use today and is considered the main route of the historic Kaskaskia-Cahokia Trail. 4 Timeline Beg. 11,000 BC Early Indian Settlement Mississippian Mound 1100 Builders Culture 1673 French Exploration Cahokia/Kaskaskia 1699 Villages Established 1720 Fort de Chartres First Established 1754-1763 French & Indian War American Revolutionary War 1778 in the Illinois Country Louisiana Purchase 1803 Lewis & Clark Expedition 1809 Illinois Territory Established th Beg. 1810 19 Century Transportation 1812 War of 1812 Illinois Statehood 1818 Kaskaskia First State Capital Beg. 1830 19th Century Immigration 1854 First Indian Removal from Illinois Modern Road Improvements Beg. 1900 Motorized Vehicles 2000 Preservation Begins State Historic & Scenic Route 2014 Designation of the KCT 5 Looking Back at Illinois’ First Road First at Illinois’ Back Looking area 1 Discover the Kaskaskia-Cahokia Trail The 60-mile long trail has been divided into four areas, north to south, to easily navigate and explore the points of interest in this booklet and during your journey along the Kaskaskia-Cahokia Trail! 6 Kaskaskia-Cahokia Trail Attractions St. Clair County CAHOKIA S3. Jarrot Mansion SHS S1. Cahokia Courthouse SHS This historic brick home was constructed in 1807, making it one of the oldest surviving masonry buildings in Illinois. This State Historic Site is notable for its use of American Federal architectural design. A stone spring house that dates before 1810 can be found on Cahokia Courthouse the grounds. In 1974, the Jarrot Mansion was added to the National Originally built as a French Register of Historic Places and dwelling around 1740, the home designated a National Historic became a courthouse in 1793 and Landmark in 2001. 116 Church St., served as a center of political activity 618-332-1782, jarrotmansion.org in the Old Northwest Territory. From December 1803 until the spring of 1804, Lewis and Clark used the courthouse to coordinate final preparations for their expedition that embarked from Wood River in May of 1804. 107 Elm St., 618-332-1782 Jarrot Mansion S2. Holy Family Church & Parish Museum Holy Family Church is the oldest S4. Tricentennial Heritage Park church west of the Alleghany The park was created in 1999 by Mountains and the oldest the Village of Cahokia for their continuous Catholic parish in the Tricentennial celebration. It is United States. It was founded by dedicated to Judge Jerome Lopinot. Canadian Missionaries in 1699 and There are four brass plaques the log church, built in 1799 is a written by Lopinot describing the National Historic Landmark. 116 significance of the area. It was the Church St., holyfamily1699.org sight of a meeting between George Rogers Clark and a large number of For more information, please visit KCTrailIllinois.org 7 local tribes in August of 1778. Clark DUPO convinced them to remain neutral during the American Revolution. This S6. Pulcher Mississippian park is located at the intersection of Mounds Site IL Routes 3 and 157 in Cahokia, IL. EAST CARONDELET S5. Martin-Boismenue House SHS This home is typical of many of the French Creole poteaux-sur-solle (post on sill) type dwellings that pre- Pulcher Mississippian Mounds dominated the area in the late 18th century and is one of the oldest structures of its kind in Illinois. Built Pulcher Mississipian Mounds by Canadian born Revolutionary War (1100 to 1400 AD) is an intact veteran Pierre Martin, its squared-log archaeological site with eight earthen outer walls rest upright on a log sill mounds, that once had plazas, mounted on a stone foundation. buildings, gardens, and a craft From the Cahokia Courthouse, follow workshop. This ancient village was IL-3 south four blocks then veer right associated with the Cahokia Mounds onto Water St. Continue across the Urban Center. Use Old State Route 3 creek into East Carondelet. The house going north out of Columbia, IL. Turn will be on the left. 618-332-1782, left onto Davis Ferry Rd. and follow the dnr.illinois.gov road over Interstate 255 viaduct and railroad tracks. Turn left onto Oklahoma Hill Rd. Pulcher Site is located along Oklahoma Hill and Fish Lake Rd. in a private farm field. The large mounds can be viewed from the road. Monroe County COLUMBIA M1. Sandbank School Less than 50 feet off of an original Martin–Boismenue House section of the KCT, this log cabin subscription school was located on the northeast quarter of the 400 acre 8 Kaskaskia-Cahokia Trail Attractions DUPO land claim belonging to James M3. Historic Main Street District Piggot’s wife. A frame school S6. Pulcher Mississippian As the population of settlers grew replaced the log school in 1902. The near Piggot’s Fort, a town containing Mounds Site restored schoolhouse still stands general stores, blacksmith and today. 11832 Bluff Rd., harness shops, mills, and hardware 618-593-7663 stores was soon established. Platted as the town of Columbia, the original Kaskaskia to Cahokia Road was re-routed to the east becoming the Main Street of the new town. Historic Main Street Columbia was designated Illinois’ 46th Main Street Community in 2015 and boasts national and local Pulcher Mississipian Mounds Sandbank Schoolhouse historic landmarks, a thriving (1100 to 1400 AD) is an intact residential and business community, archaeological site with eight earthen M2. Piggot’s Fort Marker and exciting local events held mounds, that once had plazas, throughout the year. A marker commemorates and buildings, gardens, and a craft interprets the life of Revolutionary mymainstreetcolumbia.com workshop. This ancient village was War Captain, James Piggot. Around associated with the Cahokia Mounds 1783, Captain Piggot arrived in the Urban Center. Use Old State Route 3 American Bottoms with 17 other going north out of Columbia, IL. Turn left onto Davis Ferry Rd. and follow the families after a long and arduous road over Interstate 255 viaduct and battle with the Chickasaw and railroad tracks. Turn left onto Oklahoma Choctaw tribes at Fort Jefferson Hill Rd. Pulcher Site is located along near Paducah, KY. The families Oklahoma Hill and Fish Lake Rd. established a fort on Carr Creek just Miller-Fiege Home in a private farm field. The large under the bluffs along the road from mounds can be viewed from the road. Kaskaskia. This was said to have Miller-Fiege Home been the largest fortification erected Built in 1850, this historic home is a by early Americans in Illinois. Monroe County unique example of a brick two-story 11562 Bluff Rd. COLUMBIA German vernacular cottage on a limestone foundation, a style popular M1. Sandbank School in the 1830s to late 1800s and easily Less than 50 feet off of an original the most prevalent style found in section of the KCT, this log cabin Columbia’s historic neighborhoods.
Details
-
File Typepdf
-
Upload Time-
-
Content LanguagesEnglish
-
Upload UserAnonymous/Not logged-in
-
File Pages35 Page
-
File Size-