Kaskaskia Bell State Memorial
Encyclopedia
The Kaskaskia Bell State Memorial is a 1948 brick building in Kaskaskia, Illinois
that houses a bell cast in 1741 by King Louis XV of France
as a gift to the Mission of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church at Kaskaskia. Known as the "Liberty Bell of the West", the bell was rung by villagers to celebrate their July 4, 1778 liberation from the British by forces of American Colonel George Rogers Clark
. The Memorial also contains murals depicting Colonial scenes of Kaskaskia.
The Memorial is maintained by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
as a state historic site.
Kaskaskia, Illinois
Kaskaskia is a village in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. In the 2010 census the population was 14, making it the second-smallest incorporated community in the State of Illinois in terms of population. A major French colonial town of the Illinois Country, its peak population was about...
that houses a bell cast in 1741 by King Louis XV of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
as a gift to the Mission of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church at Kaskaskia. Known as the "Liberty Bell of the West", the bell was rung by villagers to celebrate their July 4, 1778 liberation from the British by forces of American Colonel George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark was a soldier from Virginia and the highest ranking American military officer on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War. He served as leader of the Kentucky militia throughout much of the war...
. The Memorial also contains murals depicting Colonial scenes of Kaskaskia.
The Memorial is maintained by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Illinois. It is tasked with the duty of maintaining most State-owned historic sites within Illinois, and maximizing their educational and recreational value to visitors....
as a state historic site.
External links
- Kaskaskia Bell State Memorial - Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
- Kaskaskia Bell State Memorial - photos and more information