To establish the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial National Historical Park in the State of Illinois, and for other purposes.

Bill: 118-hr-5558
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Bost, Mike [R-IL-12]
Introduced: 2023-09-19
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Latest action: action_date: 2023-09-19
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Summaries:

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5558 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 19, 2023 Mr. Bost introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To establish the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial National Historical Park in the State of Illinois, and for other purposes.

1. Findings; purposes (a) Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Prairie du Rocher and the French Colonial Historic District are the finest historical and architectural examples of French Colonial Heritage in the United States. (2) Kaskaskia, Fort de Chartres, and Prairie du Rocher once served as the western boundary of the United States. (3) The 1752 French census documents that Kaskaskia had a population of 275 White people, 246 Blacks, 75 Indians, and 77 mixed blood (Indian and white ancestry) making it a multi-ethnic community. Enslaved people from Africa began arriving in Kaskaskia by 1720 with skills as blacksmiths, joiners, masons, etc., precisely the skills needed to build the 1759 Fort of Kaskaskia. (4) Fort de Chartres was erected in 1720 by France and is one of France’s most imposing fortifications in North America. It was the administrative center in the era of French Colonial control over Louisiana and the Illinois Country. On October 9, 1960, the Fort was declared a National Historic Landmark. (5) The Powder Magazine at Fort de Chartres is the oldest stone building in the State of Illinois. (6) The Guard House at Fort de Chartres contains a Catholic chapel furnished in the style of the 1750s, along with a priest’s room, a gunner’s room, an officer-of-the-day room, and a guard’s room. Missionary Father Pierre Gibault taught and ministered to the settlers and Native Americans. (7) The King of France made land concessions to certain entrepreneurs that evolved into villages. The Village of Chartres was proximate to Fort de Chartres. (8) The Mitchigamea or Michigamea were a tribe in the Illinois Confederation who established a village north of Fort de Chartres. One of their villages in the American Bottom, inhabited from 1730 until 1752, is one of the region’s premier archaeological sites; it is known as the Kolmer Site . (9) In 1763, Pierre Laclede Liguest quartered in the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial District where he planned the new village of St. Louis which he established in February of 1764. (10) On July 4, 1778, General George Rogers Clark, with the assistance of Father Pierre Gibault, captured Prairie du Rocher and the Village of Kaskaskia. (11) On November 28, 1803, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark visited the Village of Kaskaskia, seeking Engages and troops to accompany them on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. (12) Recently an American Fort was discovered that dates to 1803–1806. The site is next to the Garrison Hill Cemetery. (13) In 1818, Kaskaskia served as the first State Capital of Illinois. (14) In 1825, General Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Montier de Lafayette visited the Village of Kaskaskia. (15) In 1876, the religious order, the Adorers of the Blood of Christ (ASC), established a convent near Prairie du Rocher in rural Ruma to minister to the region through education and religious instruction in southwestern Illinois. The health care needs of the people led the Sisters to also create and operate hospitals. Since 1877 the Sisters staffed schools at the request of Pastors. By 1938 their staffing helped to open schools in 103 towns. They also served in other outreach ministries throughout the region. The ASC Convent was built in 1876. It was expanded in 1890 and enlarged again in 1925. The entire complex was updated in 1980. It served as an educational institution and later a high school that even offered 30 hours of college credit from St. Louis University. (16) The ASC convent site contains a memorial to and the remains of five martyred nuns who ministered in Liberia, West Africa in 1992. ASC Sisters had served there since 1971. (17) On January 20, 1961, the Modoc Rock Shelter was declared a National Historic Landmark. (18) In 1973, the Creole House in Prairie du Rocher was added to the National Registry of Historic Places. (19) In 1974, Prairie du Rocher and the French Colonial Historic District, an area of 22 square miles, was created and added to the National Registry of Historic Places, along with the ancient Kolmer Indian site. (b) Purposes The purposes of this Act are to— (1) recognize the importance of Prairie du Rocher and the French Colonial Historic District as a nationally significant architectural village of the cultural heritage of the United States; (2) establish a Prairie du Rocher French Colonial National Historical Park to serve as the focus of interpretive and educational programs on the history of the French Colonial Historic District, and to assist in the preservation of historic sites within the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial Historic District; (3) recognize the contribution of religious women in the development of the country through their missions and their intrinsic desire to better the lives of people through education, health, and social services, and other ministries and in particular southwestern Illinois; and (4) recognize the existence and contribution of the early enslaved African Americans, Indians and mixed bloods at Kaskaskia and Prairie du Rocher for their skills as blacksmiths, joiners, and masons, etc. 2. Establishment of the prairie du rocher french colonial national historical park (a) In general In order to assist in the preservation and interpretation of, and education concerning, of Prairie du Rocher, the French Colonial Historic District, the contribution of religious women to the development of our country and the existence of a multi-ethnic community that was Kaskaskia and Prairie du Rocher and to provide technical assistance to a broad range of public and private landowners and preservation organizations, there is hereby established the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial National Historical Park in the State of Illinois. (b) Area included The historical park shall consist of lands and interests therein as follows: (1) Lands and structures associated with— (A) Fort de Chartres, France’s most imposing fortifications in North America, and surrounding adjacent land including the Kolmer Site, the Village of Chartres and Pierre Laclede Home site; (B) the Creole House (1800), a French creole vernacular post in ground (poteaux-sur-sol) construction—one of only five remaining in the United States; (C) the Pierre Menard Home (1803), Menard was the first Lieutenant Governor of Illinois; (D) the Doiron Bienvenue House, post in ground (poteaux-sur-sol) construction (1860); (E) the ASC Convent, built in 1876 and updated in 1980, including an education wing, and surrounding structures and adjacent parcels; and (F) a portion of the Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site, a 200-acre park, which celebrates the vanished frontier Village of Kaskaskia, is home to the earthen remains of Fort Kaskaskia, and preserves Garrison Hill Cemetery, where Pierre Menard and dozens of veterans are interred. 3. Administration; management (a) Administration The Secretary shall administer the historical park in accordance with this title and with provisions of law generally applicable to units of the National Park System, including— (1) section 100502 of title 54, United States Code; and (2) chapter 3201 of title 54, United States Code. (b) Management The Secretary shall manage the historical park in such a manner as will preserve resources and cultural landscapes relating to the history of the historic district and to enhance public understanding of the important cultural heritage of the historic district. 4. Interpretive visitor center complex (a) In general (1) Construction; lease The Secretary is authorized to acquire the ASC convent and surrounding structures to operate and to maintain an interpretive visitor center complex, conference center, and lodging facilities in the convent, to provide for the general information and orientation needs of the historical park and the historic district and serve the needs of the historical park. The ASC facility also includes a house to serve as the residence for the Park Superintendent. (2) Consultation When the planning and development of the ASC Convent as the interpretive visitor center complex, the Secretary shall consult with— (A) the State of Illinois; (B) Randolph County; (C) the Village of Prairie du Rocher; and (D) the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. (b) Cooperative agreements The Secretary is authorized to enter into cooperative agreements for the development of the interpretive visitor center complex, educational programs, and other materials to facilitate public use of the historical park and historic district with— (1) the State of Illinois; (2) Randolph County; (3) the Village of Prairie du Rocher; and (4) the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 5. Acquisition of property (a) General authority Except as otherwise provided in this section, the Secretary is authorized to acquire lands and interests therein within the boundaries of the historical park by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, and exchange. (b) State and local properties Lands and interests therein that are owned by the State of Illinois, or any political subdivision thereof, may be acquired only by donation or exchange. 6. Donations The Secretary may accept and retain donations of funds, property, or services from individuals, foundations, or other public or private entities for the purposes of providing programs, services, facilities, or technical assistance that further the purposes of this Act. Any funds donated to the Secretary pursuant to this section may be expended without further appropriation. 7. Grant assistance The Secretary is authorized to make grants to park partners for projects not requiring Federal involvement other than providing financial assistance, subject to the availability of appropriations in advance identifying the specific grantee and the specific project. Projects funded through grants under this section shall— (1) be used only for construction and development on non-Federal property within the boundaries of the historic district; (2) support the purposes of the historical park; and (3) enhance public use and enjoyment of the historical park. 8. Definitions In this Act: (1) Historic district The term historic district means the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial Historic District listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. (2) Historical park The term historical park means the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial National Historical Park established by section 2(a). (3) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.