The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-01-12
MELANCHOLY interest at
taches itself to the last histori-
cal incident In the life of the
o1d IlIinois town: Kaskaskia, in

Ola 1lllilOlS tOWiis fNoShoS'hie-' 50
the recent decision of the postoffice de-
pertinent to wipe it's name from the Off
cial map of the United States.
On the first day of the new year this
decree. which virtually sounded the death
knell of the town, went into. effect. Bare
" five families, it is said, now reside In
the town, while century and more ago
1t was one of the most ftourishing ano
important stations in the growing West.
The vagaries of the Mississippi river
have been the cause of its downfall. Over
a century ago the bank of the river was
only three miles away, but aided by
numerous freshets, the Father OF Wa
ters" has encroached more and more, lit
tie by little, washing away the business
portion of the town, until In 1881, the
neck of land separating the Mississippi
from the Kaskaskia river was cut
through, making an island Of one section.
and from that time the existance of the
historic place was doomed.
Historians have never been able to FIX
upon the exact date of the actual settle
ment of Kaskaskia by Europeans. Ban
croft gives it the honor of being the old
est European settlement in the Mississippi
Valley but he processes inability to nix
the exact date of its origin. Its founder
has been stated by various writer's to
have been that intrepid French Jesuit
and explorer, La Sale, who stopped at the
little Indian village of he Kaskaskian
Indians On his return from his long jour-
ney to the mouth Of the Mississippi in
1852; others have given the honor to the
missionary Gravier, who was the success
sor of the better known Marquette, and
who established a little mission in 1885
on the site of the future town of Kaskas-
kia, while other Investigators have given
the year 100 as the actual founding of
the place.
The latter year has been accepted as
the most correct date, SO that its life of
activity in American history is one year
over two centuries. The energy Of the
French missionaries and explorers is
brought wildly to mind when one recalls
the fact that this town, founded In the
Western wilderness, was firmly estab-
lished before the famous chain of the thir-
teen colonies was completed. Kaskaskia
was Incorporated in 1925 and it was not
until 1882 that General Oglethrope sent
his ship load of debtors and destitute
English residents to found the colony of
Georgia.
1t is interesting. also. to note that the
year 1882 the earliest date ascribed to the
founding of Kaskaskia, is mem orable in
American history as marking the first
WISH OF w l1l1dtH cufl "
which was speedily followed by his cele-
brated treaty with the Indians under the
old Kensington elm. Philadelphia was
then in its infancy, but when Penn re-
turned in 100 he found 1t a firmly estab-
lished little town.
Meanwhile, in the far West, Kaskaskia
was growing in Importance as a pioneer
outpost and trading headquarters with
the Indians. It's Inhabitants were chiefly
French. and in 1765 It's population was
estimated at nearly 5000. When, at the
close of the French and Indian war. the
Illinois territory. which comprised much
more than is now included within the
State of that name was coded to the
English, many of the leading French
families left Kaskaskia and removed to
French territory on the west bank of the
Mississippi, several going to the little set
Element Of st. Louis. This reduced the
population materially. so that a traveller
in 1866 said that the town contained six
ty-five families, besides m erchants, other
casual people. and slaves In 1878 a
writer in the Western Gazetteer. or Emil
grants Directory, said of Kaskaskia:
at is at present the seat of the Terri
torial government. and chief town of Ran
dolph county. In contains 100 houses
scattered over an extensive plain, some
of them being of stone. Almost every
house has a spacious picketed garden in
it's rear, and the houses have clumsy
appearance. The town Is 150 miles south
west of vincennes and 800 miles from the
City of Washington. There Is postoffice
and land office for the sale of the public
lands. and a printing office from which is
issued weekly newspaper entitled The
Illinois Herald"
The Illinois Herald was the first news
paper in the State. and was started In
1914 by Mathew Duncan. KaskasEia,
therefore, will ever be remembered as the
pioneer in Illinois journalism.
In 1878 Illinois was admitted to the
Union as a State, being the eighth addi-
tion to the original thirteen. For the first