The Springfield herald., 1912-07-05

done more than preserve the
scene of an Indian tradition. 1t has
made permanent n monument Of the
earliest recorded history Of the upper
Mississippi valley. The park includes
the site Of the Oldest fort and perma-
nent European settlement In the val
ley and part of the site of great com.
munity that even now would rank with
the largest cities of the state. The
old and all but forgotten Kaskaskia
and its suburbs were larger than the
present city OF Alton. larger than
Freeport. twice as large as the nearby
city of Ottawa.
When 1t is recalled that only a CEN
tury ago the stockaded Fort Dearborn
that had been Chicago was a scene OF
desolation 1t is difficult to turn the
mind back still another century and
more to the beginning of Fort st.
Louis, on the Illinois river. Perhaps
that is why the Indian legend Of a
later date has become known. while
the recorded history OF the place has
been forgotten and Fort St Louis has
become Starved Rock.
1t was In the summer OF 1873 that
Joliet and Father Marquette entered
the Illinois river at its mouth after a
trip down the Mississippi from the
Wisconsin. They were on their way
back to eastern Wisconsin by way Of
Chicago and stopped only three days
at the Indian village of Kaskaskia,
which stood on the flood plain of the
Illinois. across the river and short
distance west from a great white rock.
forest capped. that rose sheer from
the water at height of 1875 feet. The
village then contained "a lodges and
nearly ten times that number Of fam
lilies The lodges were permanent
structures, not the tepees of the west
ern nations. The Indians were Kas-
kaskias, tribe Of the Illinois nation.
whose village was larger than that OF
the Peorias. another Illinois nation.
who lived near where the city of Pc
oria now stands.
The great rock above the village
did not attract special attention. 1t
was one of many rocks and, moreover
It was the Indians that interested
Marquette. whose report contains the
only first hand account of the voyage,
since that Of Joliet was lost in the ST.
Lawrence river. To these Indians
Marquette endeavored to return late
In 1874. Winter and sickness caught
him on his way He and his compan-
ions built cabin on the bank OF the
Chicago river at what is now Robey
street and remained there until the
spring. when they descended the Des-
PLANES and Illinois to Kaskaskia and
fol oh
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed
Virgin.
Display Pictures Of Virgin.
On the meadow between the river
and the present city of Utica Mar
quette raised an altar and displayed
four pictures Of the Virgin before 500
chiefs and old men, 1900 young war
riors and perhaps 1000 women and
children. large audience to be gath
cred there nowadays. Soon after Eas-
ter he and his two companions made
their way back to Lake Michigan by
the Kankakee and ST. Joseph rivers.
On the bank of the lake Marquette
died.
Allouez was Marquette's successor
at the mission OF the Immaculate Con-
lodges. Before the coming of La Sale
in 1879 he left the place and La Sale
found a deserted city. The inhabitants
had gone hunting farther west. He
went on to Peoria lake, built Fort
Crevecoeur there and returned, leav-
ing his lieutenant, Tonty. at the fort.
1t was not until this return voyage
that the great white rock caught his
eye. 1t must have impressed itself on
his mind as he sat in the deserted vii
lage across the river, resting on the
journey northward. Here was a fQH
that was no Crevecoeur. a lofty rock,
inaccessible except at one point, and
there only by a narrow and difficult
path. out of arrow range from the
other rocks and the bluff quarter of
n mile away. So he sent word TO the
Tonty to examine the rock and to re-
moth thither from Peoria lake II he
thought It we'll to do co.
But this establishment was not to
be easily made. There were troubles
with the Indians and the French as
sistants, and 1t was three years later
that La Sale and Tonty began the
fortifcation of the rock. The only
approach to the half-acre area of the
summit was protected with earth
works and a palisade, and within the
palsade were built cabins after some
of the forest growth had been re.
moved. Civilization took its stand In
the midst of the wilderness.
At the foot of the rock, on the level
bank of the river, a bowling alley was
laid out for the Frenchmen. Around
this were other shelters. of French
and of Indians. The fort had become
a suburb of Kaskaskia, or, as the
French called It. LaVantum, across
the river. This town of the Kaskaskia
Indians was added to by arrivals Of
other tribes, especially those of the
Illinois nation. The original settle
ment was west OF where the Utica
bridge now crosses the river, but the
additions spread to the east along the