Prairie du Rocher: Historical Timeline

(work in progress)

Click here to view historical maps of Prairie du Rocher
Click here to view old newspaper articles about Prairie du Rocher and Fort de Chartres.

18th Century

Date	Event	Reference
1719	M. de Boisbriand, Mr. Du Tissent, and others arrive by a convoy of canoes on the east bank of the Mississippi river and begin building a fort and other structures.	Chicago Tribune - Feb. 21, 1897
1720	The fort is named Fort de Chartres - after the duc de Chartres, son of the regent of France.	MKB-9
1721	The French begin to settle the country between Fort de Chartres and Kaskaskia	MKB-115
1722	Founding date of Prairie du Rocher	MKB-118
1726	Official census: 208 persons living in the area of Fort de Chartres, St. Philippe, and Prairie du Rocher	MKB-114
1731	St. Joseph's chapel is built at Prairie du Rocher (on site of present day cemetary	MKB-107, NCN-1997Apr17-Margaret Kimball Brown
1732	St. Anne's church is dedicated	MKB-108
1732	Official census: 281 persons living in the area of Fort de Chartres, St. Philippe, and Prairie du Rocher	MKB-114, Note 1
1733	Fort de Chartres' chapel is built or repaired	MKB-109
1734	Official land grants are made to individuals in Prairie du Rocher	MKB-117
1734	Three residents receive a land grant for building a water mill between Prairie du Rocher and Fort de Chartres	MKB-118
1734	Pierre D'Artaguiette is appointed commandant of Fort de Chartres. D'Artaguiette was chosen because he had won signal victories in the Natchez war, and because holding Fort de Chartres required great skill owing to hostilites of the Spaniards and the Chickasaws.	Chicago Tribune - June 9, 1889
1736	D'Artaguiette's forces attack a small Chickasaw village, but are ambushed by several hundred Indians. About forty frenchmen are killed. The commandant, D'Artaguiette, the officers, Pierre St. Ange, Louis Dutisne, Sieur de Vincennes, and the Jesuit priest, Antoine Senat are burned at the stake.	MKB-132
1743	Civil Judge Jean Baptiste de Lelore Flancourt ruled that three square miles of land be given to the the people of Prairie du Rocher for common usage	NCN-1998Feb05-Amy Barbeau
1750	Chevalier de Mukarty arrives with orders to tear away the wooden pallisades and rebuild nad strengthen Fort de Chartres with solid stone work.	Chicago Tribune - June 9, 1889
1752	Pierre Chaffour de Louviere (later Captain of the Militia during the British period) has 200 arpents of land (170 aces) under cultivation, six slaves, and three hired helpers	NCN-1997Apr17-Margaret Kimball Brown
1753	The Creole House is built	NCN-1998Feb05-Amy Barbeau
1754	Soldiers from this area help De Villiers capture George Washington at Fort Necessity	NCN-1998Feb05-Amy Barbeau
1764	Jesuits expelled from French settlements. Pierre LaClede stayed at Fort de Chartres during the winter and left his daughter at Prairie du Rocher	NCN-1998Feb05-Amy Barbeau
1764	Flooding removes approximately half of the land between St. Anne and Fort de Chartres	JHS-401, Note 2
1765	Fort de Chartres is surrendered to the British on Oct. 10 - by order of Saint Louis and Foccault. Captain Sterling and the 42nd Regiment of Foot take possession.	JHS-397
1765	Captain Sterling describes Fort Kaskaskia as being nearly in ruins, the Indians insolent, and some local villagers as having moved to Missouri.	JHS-398, Note 3
1772	The Great Flood ... a bastion and part of the western wall of Fort de Chartres are swept away ... the British move to Fort Gage	NCN-1998Feb05-Amy Barbeau, Chicago Tribune - June 7, 1891
1779	Residents of Prairie du Rocher (male) elect two magistrates: Jean Baptiste Barbeau (the younger) and Antoine Louvier	NCN-1997Apr10-Margaret Kimball Brown
1784	The winter is severely cold with three feet of snow. Cattle starve and deer are caught alive	NCN-1997Jun26-Margaret Kimball Brown
1785	The "Year of the High Water" (because of melting snow from the previous year)	NCN-1997Jun26-Margaret Kimball Brown
1787	The citizens declared that until Congress could provide a plan for a stable government (because of the growing number of Americans coming in), they would only have French magistrates in the court, due to the impossibility of finding interpreters	NCN-1997Jun05-Margaret Kimball Brown
1788	Congress directs that a donation be given to each of the families living at either of the villages of Kaskaskia, Prairie du Rocher, Cahokia, Fort de Chartres, or St. Philippe	IHA-22
1788	Congress reserves from occupancy or sale, a tract of about one square mile that includes Fort de Chartres and its buildings	NCN-1998Feb05-Amy Barbeau
1790	Pierre Gibault, the priest at Kaskaskia, and 87 others sign a memorial asking Gov. St. Clair to petition Congress on their behalf (unable to pay mandatory surveying fees)	IHA-22
1791	Congress directs that 400 acres of land be granted to the head of any family which had made improvements in Illinois prior to 1788.	IHA-22

19th Century

Date	Event	Reference
1808	Illinois country becomes part of the Diocese of Bardstown, Kentucky	MKB-207
1811	New Madrid earthquake	NCN-1997Jun26-Margaret Kimball Brown, also Note 4
1814	A road is opened from the Old Stone House in the commonfields along near the bluff.	NCN-1997Apr03-Margaret Kimball Brown
1818	Illinois becomes a state
1821	By act of state leglislature, Prairie du Rocher becomes a "village". The first trustees are Andre Barbeau, Antoine Louvier, Henry Barbeau, Henry Kerr, and William Drury	MKB-206
1827	The first English entry occurs in Prairie du Rocher's Church records	MKB-207
1829	Henry Conner is allowed to keep a public inn or tavern in a house that he occupied	NCN-1997Jun26-Margaret Kimball Brown
1830	John M. Godaire is licensed to keep a public inn or tavern - commonly called a "grocery" - at his house	NCN-1997Jun26-Margaret Kimball Brown
1835	Official grants for new lots begin - for moving the village closer to the bluffs to avoid floods	MKB-207
1839	Census of St. Joseph's parish: 86 households - this includes six free black households. The total population is 526 persons: 475 white and 51 black. No Indians are mentioned.	MKB-208
1844	Mississippi River flood: water covers part of the cemetary, water is at the old church door. John Reynolds recalls the water being higher than the watermarks left on buildings from the flood of 1785.	NCN-1997Jun26-Margaret Kimball Brown
1849	Antione Blais, Dr. Smith, and Dr. McDonald, and several other Prairie du Rocher residents depart for the California Gold Rush	IHA-54B
1855	St. Joseph's parochial school built	MKB-287
1864	Civil War skirmish	MKB-254
1867	Abraham Lee wins Crosby Opera House in nationwide lottery. He sells his ticket back to Crosby for $200,000. Click to view the original Chicago Tribune article.	MKB-255
1871	Crosby Opera House destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire
1875	The Atlas Map of Randolph County is published - contains much information about Prairie du Rocher.	IHA
1889	Mississippi River flood	MKB-251 (approx. date)
1889	Phantom Funeral	MKB-274

20th Century

Date	Event	Reference
1902	Iron Mountain Railroad comes through Prairie du Rocher - passenger trains to St. Louis run 3-4 times daily	MKB-263
1911	First automobiles in town	MKB-266
1913	Illinois legislature designates Fort de Chartres a State Park	MKB-283
1914	Water plant is built	MKB-263
1916	The first electrc plant is in operation (one-cylinder diesel engine with a cowhide belt)	MKB-263
1919	Road is built between Prairie du Rocher and Fort de Chartres	MKB-266
1920	Two-year high school is started in St. Joseph's school	MKB-287
1928	Royal storehouse is reconstructed as a custodian's quarters and museum at Fort de Chartres	MKB-283
1929	Road is built between Prairie du Rocher and Ruma	MKB-266
1932	Airport (emergency landing field) is built south of town near the cemetary	MKB-268
1936	Guardhouse and Chapel rebuilt at Fort de Chartres	MKB-284
1938	Common land leases terminate before the 99 year term is due. Land was valued and lease-holders purchased their lots.	NCN-1998Mar26-Amy Barbeau
1939	Golden Jubilee of Msgr. Van Delft: a new altar and organ are installed.	NCN-1998Mar26-Amy Barbeau
1941	King's Ball discontinued (WWII)	MKB-295
1941	Baseball diamond is built on St. Joseph's Church grounds	NCN-1998Apr16-Amy Barbeau
1943	Mississippi River flood	MKB-285
1944	Mississippi River flood	MKB-285
1948	Levee is built	MKB-285 (approx date)
1948	La Guiannee plays at the National Folk Festival in St. Louis	Note 5
1948	Last doctor leaves (no doctor in Prairie du Rocher since)	MKB-288
1950	Airport is dismantled	MKB-269
1951	School building is built by the Catholic church - is leased to the public school district	MKB-287
1956	Baptist church built	MKB-287
1970	First Rendezvous	MKB-291
1970	Brickey mansion is destroyed by fire
1971	Public school is built	MKB-288
1974	French Colonial District created: 22 square miles	NCN-1998Apr16-Amy Barbeau
1976	Village Hall is built	MKB-290
1976	King's Ball is revived (discontinued since WWII)	MKB-295
1979	Percy Clerc publishes "Echoes of Old Prairie du Rocher" (book of poetry)
1980	Percy Clerc's home burns down - Percy perishes in the fire.
1993	Mississippi River flood

21th Century

Date	Event	Reference
2008	Chamber of Commerce is started

References

IHA -	various authors	"An Illustrated Historical Atlas Map of Randolph County, Ills. - Carefully Compiled from Personal Examinations and Surveys"	W. R. Brink and Co. of Illinois, 1875 - contributed by John Laurent
JHS -	Schlarman, J. H.	"From Quebec to New Orleans: The Story of the French in America"	Buechler Publishing Company, Bellevile, Illinois 1929
MKB -	Brown, Margaret K.	"History As They Lived It: A Social History of Prairie du Rocher, Ill."	The Patrice Press, Tucson, Arizona 2005
NCN -	author indicated above	North County News	Red Bud, Illinois

Notes

Note 1: The 1732 census records 179 French persons plus 102 black and Indian slaves, for a total of 281 persons.

Note 2: Upon taking control of Fort de Chartres in 1765, Captain Sterling writes "I am sending an officer to Cauho (Cahokia), it being the next considerable village, the Prairiech Rocher, and St. Phillip, having only a few inhabitants, the Village of this Place (St. Anne) is quite depopulated, the River having run away with half of it, and every one is of the Opinion that it will carry away the Fort next Spring, it having carry'd off more of the Land betwixt it and the Fort last Year, than what remains, which is a great pity, as it is one of the best constructed Forts against Indians in America, and able to contain 200 men."

Note 3: Captain Sterling writes "The Fort of the Caskakias (Fort Kaskaskia) having been abandoned by the French since the treaty of Peace, it is almost in ruins, one face of it having fallen down, which prevented my sending a Detachment there, and indeed my party is so small and the Indians so Numerous, so easily assembled, and so insolent, that I thought it for His Majesty's Service not to divide my little Force. The Indians have not been accustomed to have Troops among them since the Peace, so that they have been quite Masters here, and treated the Inhabitants as they thought proper, which has drove several of them to the other side of the River, where there is two Villages, One Opposite to Caskaskias Settled about Fourteen Years ago, called St. Genevieve, and has about Twenty five families, the other about Twenty Leagues higher up, called St. Louis, and has Forty Families, it is established since the Cession of this Country to the English, by those who either did not like to be under our Government, or were frightened for the Indians."

Note 4: Fr. Benedict Roux related its effects in Kaskaskia. "In 1811, Kaskaskia underwent one of the most dreadful earthquakes ever felt by mortals - earth waves came several times this year - the steeple of the church bending like a reed, here and there stone and brick chimneys fell down, cattle themselves siezed with fear, were running to and fro. The earth cracked so deeply along one of the streets that they could never sound the bottom of this crevice." There must have been similar effects in Prairie du Rocher. From Wickopedia: "Based on the effects of these earthquakes, it can be estimated that they had a magnitude of 8.0 on the Richter scale. As a result of the quakes, large areas sank into the earth, new lakes were formed (notably Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee), and the Mississippi River changed its course, creating numerous geographic exclaves, including Kentucky Bend, along the state boundaries defined by the river. Some sections of the Mississippi River appeared to run backward for a short time. Sandblows were common throughout the area, and their effects can still be seen from the air in cultivated fields. Church bells were reported to ring in Boston, Massachusetts and sidewalks were reported to have been cracked and broken in Washington, D.C. There were also reports it toppled chimneys in Maine."

Note 5: A partial list of participants is Charles Clerc (lead singer), Charles Bise, Frank Coleno, Percy Clerc, William Clerc, and Edward DuFrenne. A 45-RPM phonograph record was produced by Radio Station KSGM: titled "LA GUIGNOLEE (EN FRANCAIS) BY PRAIRIE DUROCHER SINGERS" (record 15871B).