Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-10-02
ARTISTS ARE GIVEN
EXCELLENT ADDRESS.
ON STARVED ROCK.
LS3hOo TAFT, NOTED SCULPTOR
LEADS EELEGATloN OF ART Elk.
TENSION LEAGUE ON TOUR OF
STATE PARK AND DEER PARK.

SpNenty-nNc members OF inc AIt
Extension committee from all parts
oi the state visited the Starved Rock
state park and Deer Park, to inspect
the natural beauties Of the place yes.
terday. The number included resi-
dents from Ottawa, La Sale and
Stroator The expedition was headed
by dorado Taft sculptor who is
head of the committee, and the ar.
rangements were In charge Of Mrs.
A. j. Wilson OF La Sale, chairman
OF the local committee,
The party met at the akskaskia no.
tel in La Sale in the late morning.
late train caused q slight delay in
starting
When the expedition started a ride
around the city of La Sale was the
first feature of the entertainment.
From La Sale the party went to
Deer Park, and walked through the
Deer Park glen, after which they
We're entertained at "A very delightful
buffet luncheon at the home of Mr..
and Mrs. George p. Blow, in the park.
At the close of the luncheon Horace
nun VI WIS WY NdS dNhNh w oP'"h
on the state park, telling the his
tory of the beautiful spot. State &c
ologst Frank w. Devoid also gave
a very interesting talk on the state
park,
From the Blow residence the party
went to Starved Rock where they
visited some points OF interest, re-
turning to the kaskaskia hotel for a
banquet
DR.. K, +. Heterogeneous, of the state
university acted as postmaster at
the program at the close Of the ban
quet Mayor Peter Il. Coleman of
La Sale, delivered a very cordial adj
dress OF welcome. which was respond
ed to by Senator Thurlow Essington,
of Streator.
The party left on the Rock Island
last night for Peoria, whore they will
board a boat and proceed down the
river to St Louis, stopping along the
way to visit historic sites.
The talk which was delivered by
Mr. Hull at the Blow residence, was
one of the finest on Starved Rock
ever heard in this part OF the state
Mr.. Hull said in part.
81 have been asked by the commit.
tee in charge of your entertainment
to make brief statement of facts
concerning the history of this beautl
full spot as wen as a sufficient descrip.
ton of its surroundings as will enable
you the better to enjoy the trip We
are about to make and perhaps enlist
your personal influence In persuading
the legislature to protect, conserve,
and develop its beauties in a manner
commensurate with its historic and
scenic Importance.
In the latter part of the seven
teenth century, rumors had reached
the court of France of a grand and
noble river lying beyond their most
western outposts, comparable in size
TO the St Lawrence and flowing thru
country of remarkable fertility; its
bank peopled, in general, with say
age Indian tribes, but, among whom,
the Illinois, We're described as affable
and humane, ready to receive instruc-
ton and DESTROYS of visits from the
missionaries.
Believing that this river emptied
into the Gulf Of California, and would
thus provide passage to China and
the far east and realizing that its
control 1.-THE rivers being the only
hishwas} rs would hold the country
for France against every other ma
ton, Talon the Tntendent, forestall-
ing the missionaries, in 1879, ordered
the matter to be made one of official
inquiry and selected Louis Joliet.
VINO had been educated as a priest,
as leader, and Father James Mar
quote, jesuit friar, as missionary
CHAPLAIN, to make the exploration BY
way Of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers,
these pioneers entered the Mississip-
pi, explored it's wters to the mouth
of the Arkansas and on their return
having been told by friendly Indians
that there was a more direct route to
the Big Lake-left its swift currents,
and entered the Illinois, visiting on
their way the chief city of the Illinois
indians, called 'Kaskaskia,' located
on the opposite side of the river and
little below what is now known as
starved Rock This ended Joliet's
connection with the early history of
the Illinois valley but year later
the good Father Marquette, in ac.
cordance with promises made to the
Indians, revisited the village and with
impressive ceremonies held on the
plain, opposite Starved Rock, estab,
lished the first mission in the Mis-
sissippi valley, naming it the Mis-,
sion of the Immaculate Conception
Of the Blessed Virgin
in 1880 Robert Cavalier, Sieur de
La Sale a French bourgeois, holding
letters patent from Louis XIV, author
izing him "tO make discoveries and
build forts in the western parts of
New France, accompanied by Henry
de Tonty, a soldier Of France, and
Father Louis IIennepin, a recollect
friar after innumerable hardships, re
visited the village of Kaskaskia but
finding the Indians absent on a hunt
ing trip, proceeded to a spot near the
present city of Peoria, where they es-
tabtished temporary winter quarters,
giving it the name OF Fort Creve
Couer (broken hearD. Leaving the
fort in charge of Tonty, La Sale re-
traced his steps and in passing no.
ticed the commanding position of this
rock and sent word back to Tonty that
in case of need to fortify it, as a hand