Fort de Chartres (Prairie du Rocher, Randolph County, Illinois)
Prairie du Rocher, Randolph County · Illinois · French and Indian War, Colonial Era
History & Significance
The original wooden fort was built in 1718–1720 by a French contingent from New Orleans, led by Pierre Dugué de Boisbriant. The fort was built to be the seat of government and to control the Indians of the region, particularly the Meskwaki.
Due generally to river flooding, the fort was rebuilt twice, the last time in limestone in the 1750s. The main purpose of the new fort was to impress the warring Chickasaw Tribe of the area and to check and halt the progress of the British in the area.
In 1763 France ceded much of its territory in North America, including Illinois, to Great Britain. British troops occupied the fort from 1765 until 1772, when encroachment by the Mississippi River caused a collapse of the south wall.
The magazine (ammunition storehouse) of the fort is believed to be the oldest surviving building in Illinois. The state of Illinois purchased the site in 1913, and reconstruction of the site to its 1753 appearance continued over the next several decades.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Partially reconstructed limestone walls from 1750s French fortification
- Restored powder magazine, believed oldest standing building in Illinois
- Museum exhibits on 18th-century French colonial life and Illinois Country administration
- Mississippi River setting reflecting strategic importance of French frontier post
Sources
- https://dnrhistoric.illinois.gov/experience/sites/site.fort-de-chartres.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_de_Chartres
- https://www.nps.gov/places/fort-de-chartres.htm
- https://fortdechartres.net/
- https://mythicmississippi.illinois.edu/french-illinois/fort-de-chartres/
- https://www.museum.state.il.us/RiverWeb/landings/Ambot/Archives/transactions/1903/Fort_20de_20Chartres.html