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Visitors Guide to
Kaskaskia
Randolph
County, Illinois |
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Kaskaskia was once a town of major importance in the
region and the first capitol of the State of Illinois. It traces its roots
back to 1673 when Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette explored the
Mississippi River looking for a route to the Pacific Ocean. When they
realized they weren’t heading in the right direction and were
entering hostile Spanish territory, they turned around and headed back by
way of the Illinois River where they encountered the peaceful Kaskaskia
tribe. Marquette returned to these people and founded the Mission of the
Immaculate Conception. After Marquette left because of poor health, the
Mission was headed by Father Marest and was relocated several times because
of conflicts between the Kaskaskia of the Illini Confederation and the more
warring Iroquois. Eventually the Mission moved to the confluence of the
Michigamea River (now known as the Kaskaskia River) and the Mississippi.
The village of Kaskaskia was established in 1703 and
its first were a few French traders, their Native American wives, and Father
Marest. Because of Kaskaskia’s location on the fertile land now known as
the American Bottoms, it quickly grew into an important center of
agriculture and fur trading. With the onset of the French and Indian War in
1756 and fearing attack, Fort Kaskaskia was built on Garrison Hill
overlooking the town. This fort was destroyed by the townspeople rather than
having it fall into British hands after the French lost the war. The earthen
mounds of this fort can be seen at Fort Kaskaskia
State Historic Site. The French
and Indian War had a profound effect on the nature of Kaskaskia. Rather than
live under British rule, many of its people moved across the Mississippi
River to Ste. Genevieve and St. Louis.
The British built a fortification in the town itself,
Fort Gage. This large stone building had once been used by a Jesuit mission
until the British suppressed the religious order and used the building as a
barracks. During the American Revolution, George Rogers Clark led an
expedition of his "Long Knives" into the Illinois Country. On July
4, 1778 Clark surprised the British at Fort Gage and liberated Kaskaskia
without firing a shot. Elated at being liberated from British rule the
townspeople rang the parish bell which has been called "The Liberty
Bell of the West" ever since. After the Revolution, and with no civil
authority present, the area descended into anarchy with bandits occupying
the site of Fort Kaskaskia.
The area settled down once the American military moved
in. In November of 1803, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark stopped off at
the American garrison at Fort Kaskaskia to recruit men, and gather supplies
and information. By the period of the 1810's-1820's the town reached it
largest size of approximately 7,000 people and was one of the leading towns
in the Illinois Country. When Illinois was made a territory in 1809,
Kaskaskia became its capitol. When Illinois became a state in 1818, a rented
home in Kaskaskia was the site of the first state capitol. When the state
capitol was moved to the more centrally located Vandalia in 1820, Kaskaskia
began to lose its importance and immigration to the state produced rival
towns. But the death blow to Kaskaskia was the Mississippi River. A great
flood in 1844 nearly destroyed the town and most of its inhabitants either
moved inland or to St. Louis. Another great flood in 1881 carved a new
channel and most of old Kaskaskia was obliterated. Residents with anything
remaining moved on.
The flood of 1881 created what is now called Kaskaskia
Island. The small community of Kaskaskia located here is the only Illinois
community west of the Mississippi River. The Liberty Bell of the West is in
a small brick building that sits next to the rebuilt Church of the Mission
of the Immaculate Conception. Kaskaskia Island is only accessible through
St. Mary, Missouri.
Chester
is the birthplace and early home of Elzie C. Segar, the creator of Popeye.
Segar is said to have modeled many of the Popeye characters after real
residents of Chester. In 1977 a 6-foot bronze Popeye statue was dedicated in
Segar Memorial Park, located near the Chester Bridge that crosses the
Mississippi River. In September
Chester hosts its popular annual Popeye Picnic with events located at numerous locations
throughout the town.
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