Prairie du Rocher, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Prairie du Rocher
Prairie du Rocher ("Rock Prairie" in French
) is a village in Randolph County
, Illinois
, United States
. Founded in the French colonial period
in the American Midwest, the community is located near bluffs that flank the east side of the Mississippi River
along the floodplain
often called the "American Bottom
".
Prairie du Rocher is one of the oldest communities founded as a French settlement that survives in the 21st century. About four miles to the west, closer to the Mississippi River, is Fort de Chartres
, site of a French military fortification and colonial headquarters established in 1720. Some buildings were reconstructed after falling into ruins, and the complex is now a state park and historical site. The fort and town were a center of government and commerce at the time when France claimed a vast territory in North America, New France
or La Louisiane, which stretched from present-day Louisiana
and the Illinois Country
to Canada
.
The population was 613 at the 2000 census. The village was founded in 1722 by French colonists
, mostly migrants from Canada.
built the first Fort de Chartres
. In 1722, St. Thérèse Langlois, a nephew of Boisbriand, founded Prairie du Rocher. The town was built on a tract of land donated by the Royal Indian Company. Boisbriand later became the commandant of the area. The town was strategically located along fertile Mississippi River
bottomland. Surpluses from the productive cultivation by habitants
later helped supply critical wheat and corn to New Orleans and other lower Louisiana Territory
communities.
D'Artaguette, an inspector in the country in the early 18th century, wrote:
In 1743 the territorial government granted the Prairie du Rocher Common (land used by all the villagers) to the village; the common was used until 1852. The villagers had plots for cultivation defined in typical French fashion, long narrow lots that reached back from the riverfront through the common. The villagers kept the plots open within the common, and built a fence around it to keep out livestock. A school existed as early as the 1760s; students boarded with local families.
Because habitants did not practice fertilization, the soil became exhausted. In addition, an increase in population meant there was not sufficient land for everyone. Some villagers moved to the west side of the Mississippi and founded Ste. Genevieve
about 1750, in present-day Missouri
. They quickly created an agricultural community with characteristics similar to Prairie du Rocher.
(also known as the Seven Years War), the British gained possession of French lands east of the Mississippi, excluding New Orleans. The treaty
was signed in 1763; however, the British did not arrive in force until 1765. To avoid British rule, many of the town's French residents moved across the Mississippi River
to towns such as Ste. Genevieve
and St. Louis
in what was now, via secret treaty
, Spanish Louisiana
. Additionally, King George III
's Royal Proclamation of 1763
designated all the land west of the Appalachians and east of the Mississippi
an Indian Reserve
. He tried to prevent settlers entering from the then-British Colonies
.
, George Rogers Clark
captured Prairie du Rocher for the colonies in his campaign that resulted in the capture of Vincennes, Indiana
. Reportedly, his campaign caused some of the remaining French settlers to emigrate to the Spanish-controlled territories west of the Mississippi, leaving relatively few in Prairie du Rocher. Many of the subsequent settlers of the area had been members of Clark's campaign, or were related to someone who was. They were convinced of the promise of the area by tales of the fertility of the soil in the area now called American Bottom
.
Prairie du Rocher was one of the few towns along the Mississippi River
that escaped being flooded in the Great Flood of 1993
. After levees broke to the north near the towns of Columbia, Illinois
and Valmeyer, Illinois
, flood waters engulfed Fort de Chartres. They also threatened the town of Prairie du Rocher.
With only the Prairie du Rocher Creek levee protecting the town, residents discovered a unique situation had developed. The water that had broken through the main Mississippi River levee and was approaching the top of the Prairie du Rocher Creek levee was higher than the water in the main Mississippi River channel. The Army Corps of Engineers
(COE) decided to use a barge-mounted shovel to break through the Mississippi River levee near Fort de Chartres, to allow flood waters to escape back to the Mississippi River channel. This did not significantly lower the water level, but the COE decided against further action.
In a 3:30 a.m. decision, with the flood waters at the top of the sandbags stacked on top of the Prairie du Rocher Creek levee, all three commissioners of the Fort de Chartres - Ivy Landing Drainage and Levee District voted to use dynamite
to breach the levee in two additional locations. Because of risk, the COE had argued against such a decision. The village put out a call for help and added a foot and a half of sandbags to the creek levee. Finally, the two openings allowed enough water to escape back to the main channel so that the town was saved from flooding. The levee still stands strong today, a reminder to those who helped stop the flooding of the small town, of the accomplishments they made that year.
Prairie du Rocher is a village with a rich history. Mainly a farming town, Prairie du Rocher has a few reminders of that history buried within the soil. It has not changed much since the 1990s. Some buildings have been renovated. Several historic houses in the town date from French colonial days, including the Creole House.
French customs practiced in Prairie du Rocher include La Guiannée
, a custom of caroling on New Year's Eve dating back to medieval times in France. It has been celebrated in Prairie du Rocher every New Year's Eve since settlement in 1722. The town also celebrates Rendezvous during the summer, as well as the winter, at the Fort de Chartres
. During that time, people from a broad area come to camp out for the weekend. They dress like Indians and French soldiers of the mid-18th century, camp out at the fort, and re-enact the wars that decided the ownership of the fort.
The town has one elementary school for grades K-8. Advanced students must travel to a nearby town for high school. The village has a library and two parks, one owned by the school and the other by the town. Melching's Korner Market occupies a corner.
The volunteer fire department occupies part of the city hall (which also holds the post office). Two small mechanic shops take care of any car problems, Vernon's and L&L automotive. Three bars are located along the highway: Rudy's, Lisa's Bar and Grille, and the American Legion.
. It has an elevation of 396 feet (120.7 m) above sea-level and is situated underneath the Mississippi River bluffs. It is located approximately 4 miles (6 km) east of the Mississippi River
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all of it land.
Illinois Route 155
is the only state highway that runs through Prairie du Rocher. It connects the town with Ruma, Illinois
, 7 miles (11.3 km) to the northeast, and Fort de Chartres
, 4 miles (6 km) to the west. Bluff Road connects the town to as far south as Ellis Grove
and as far north as Columbia
.
of 2000, there were 613 people, 240 households, and 160 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,076.2 people per square mile (415.2/km²). There were 255 housing units at an average density of 447.7 per square mile (172.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 99.02% White, 0.33% Native American, and 0.65% from two or more races.
There were 240 households out of which 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples
living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the village the population was spread out with 29.2% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 81.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $35,795, and the median income for a family was $44,659. Males had a median income of $31,750 versus $20,556 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $14,771. About 9.3% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.
is a French military fort constructed in the 18th century. It later was designated an Illinois state historic site. State budget cuts in the fall of 2008 closed the fort until the following spring. Since the fall of 2009, the fort has been open for visitors.
Prairie du Rocher ("Rock Prairie" in French
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...
) is a village in Randolph County
Randolph County, Illinois
Randolph County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 33,476, which is a decrease of 1.2% from 33,893 in 2000. Its county seat is Chester....
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Founded in the French colonial period
French colonial empires
The French colonial empire was the set of territories outside Europe that were under French rule primarily from the 17th century to the late 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the colonial empire of France was the second-largest in the world behind the British Empire. The French colonial empire...
in the American Midwest, the community is located near bluffs that flank the east side of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
along the floodplain
Floodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
often called the "American Bottom
American Bottom
The American Bottom is the flood plain of the Mississippi River in the Metro-East region of Southern Illinois, extending from Alton, Illinois, to the Kaskaskia River. It is also sometimes called "American Bottoms". The area is about , mostly protected from flooding by a levee and drainage canal...
".
Prairie du Rocher is one of the oldest communities founded as a French settlement that survives in the 21st century. About four miles to the west, closer to the Mississippi River, is Fort de Chartres
Fort de Chartres
Fort de Chartres was a French fortification first built in 1720 on the east bank of the Mississippi River in present-day Illinois. The Fort de Chartres name was also applied to the two successive fortifications built nearby during the 18th century in the era of French colonial control over...
, site of a French military fortification and colonial headquarters established in 1720. Some buildings were reconstructed after falling into ruins, and the complex is now a state park and historical site. The fort and town were a center of government and commerce at the time when France claimed a vast territory in North America, New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
or La Louisiane, which stretched from present-day Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and the Illinois Country
Illinois Country
The Illinois Country , also known as Upper Louisiana, was a region in what is now the Midwestern United States that was explored and settled by the French during the 17th and 18th centuries. The terms referred to the entire Upper Mississippi River watershed, though settlement was concentrated in...
to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
The population was 613 at the 2000 census. The village was founded in 1722 by French colonists
French colonization of the Americas
The French colonization of the Americas began in the 16th century, and continued in the following centuries as France established a colonial empire in the Western Hemisphere. France founded colonies in much of eastern North America, on a number of Caribbean islands, and in South America...
, mostly migrants from Canada.
New France
In 1718, Pierre Dugué de BoisbriandPierre Dugué de Boisbriand
Pierre Dugué de Boisbriand was a Canadien who commanded several areas in North America colonized by France in the early 18th Century, rising to become the fourth governor of the French colony of Louisiana....
built the first Fort de Chartres
Fort de Chartres
Fort de Chartres was a French fortification first built in 1720 on the east bank of the Mississippi River in present-day Illinois. The Fort de Chartres name was also applied to the two successive fortifications built nearby during the 18th century in the era of French colonial control over...
. In 1722, St. Thérèse Langlois, a nephew of Boisbriand, founded Prairie du Rocher. The town was built on a tract of land donated by the Royal Indian Company. Boisbriand later became the commandant of the area. The town was strategically located along fertile Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
bottomland. Surpluses from the productive cultivation by habitants
Habitants
Habitants is the name used to refer to both the French settlers and the inhabitants of French origin who farmed the land along the two shores of the St. Lawrence Gulf and River in what is the present-day Province of Quebec in Canada...
later helped supply critical wheat and corn to New Orleans and other lower Louisiana Territory
Louisiana Territory
The Territory of Louisiana or Louisiana Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1805 until June 4, 1812, when it was renamed to Missouri Territory...
communities.
D'Artaguette, an inspector in the country in the early 18th century, wrote:
"This country is one of the most beautiful in all Louisiana. Every kind of grain and vegetables are produced here in the greatest abundance .... they have, also, large numbers of oxen, cows, sheep, etc., upon the prairies. Poultry is abundant, and fish plentiful. So that, in fact, they lack none of the necessaries or conveniences of life."
In 1743 the territorial government granted the Prairie du Rocher Common (land used by all the villagers) to the village; the common was used until 1852. The villagers had plots for cultivation defined in typical French fashion, long narrow lots that reached back from the riverfront through the common. The villagers kept the plots open within the common, and built a fence around it to keep out livestock. A school existed as early as the 1760s; students boarded with local families.
Because habitants did not practice fertilization, the soil became exhausted. In addition, an increase in population meant there was not sufficient land for everyone. Some villagers moved to the west side of the Mississippi and founded Ste. Genevieve
Ste. Genevieve, Missouri
Ste. Genevieve is a city in and the county seat of Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri, United States. The population was 11,654 at the 2000 census...
about 1750, in present-day Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. They quickly created an agricultural community with characteristics similar to Prairie du Rocher.
British rule
Following their victory in the French and Indian WarFrench and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
(also known as the Seven Years War), the British gained possession of French lands east of the Mississippi, excluding New Orleans. The treaty
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
was signed in 1763; however, the British did not arrive in force until 1765. To avoid British rule, many of the town's French residents moved across the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
to towns such as Ste. Genevieve
Ste. Genevieve, Missouri
Ste. Genevieve is a city in and the county seat of Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri, United States. The population was 11,654 at the 2000 census...
and St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
in what was now, via secret treaty
Treaty of Fontainebleau (1762)
The Treaty of Fontainebleau was a secret agreement in which France ceded Louisiana to Spain. The treaty followed the last battle in the French and Indian War, the Battle of Signal Hill in September 1762, which confirmed British control of Canada. However, the associated Seven Years War continued...
, Spanish Louisiana
Louisiana (New Spain)
Louisiana was the name of an administrative district of the Viceroyalty of New Spain from 1764 to 1803 that represented territory west of the Mississippi River basin, plus New Orleans...
. Additionally, King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
's Royal Proclamation of 1763
Royal Proclamation of 1763
The Royal Proclamation of 1763 was issued October 7, 1763, by King George III following Great Britain's acquisition of French territory in North America after the end of the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
designated all the land west of the Appalachians and east of the Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
an Indian Reserve
Indian Reserve (1763)
The Indian Reserve was a territory under British rule in North America set aside in the Royal Proclamation of 1763 for use by American Indians between 1763 and 1783....
. He tried to prevent settlers entering from the then-British Colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
.
United States
During the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, 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...
captured Prairie du Rocher for the colonies in his campaign that resulted in the capture of Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 18,701 at the 2000 census...
. Reportedly, his campaign caused some of the remaining French settlers to emigrate to the Spanish-controlled territories west of the Mississippi, leaving relatively few in Prairie du Rocher. Many of the subsequent settlers of the area had been members of Clark's campaign, or were related to someone who was. They were convinced of the promise of the area by tales of the fertility of the soil in the area now called American Bottom
American Bottom
The American Bottom is the flood plain of the Mississippi River in the Metro-East region of Southern Illinois, extending from Alton, Illinois, to the Kaskaskia River. It is also sometimes called "American Bottoms". The area is about , mostly protected from flooding by a levee and drainage canal...
.
Prairie du Rocher was one of the few towns along the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
that escaped being flooded in the Great Flood of 1993
Great Flood of 1993
The Great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Flood of 1993 occurred in the American Midwest, along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and their tributaries, from April to October 1993. The flood was among the most costly and devastating to ever occur in the United States, with $15 billion in damages...
. After levees broke to the north near the towns of Columbia, Illinois
Columbia, Illinois
Columbia is a city in Monroe and St. Clair County in the U.S. state of Illinois, about south of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 7,922 at the 2000 census.-History:...
and Valmeyer, Illinois
Valmeyer, Illinois
Valmeyer is a village in Monroe County, Illinois, United States, on the Mississippi River. The population was 1200 at the 2006 census.-History:...
, flood waters engulfed Fort de Chartres. They also threatened the town of Prairie du Rocher.
With only the Prairie du Rocher Creek levee protecting the town, residents discovered a unique situation had developed. The water that had broken through the main Mississippi River levee and was approaching the top of the Prairie du Rocher Creek levee was higher than the water in the main Mississippi River channel. The Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
(COE) decided to use a barge-mounted shovel to break through the Mississippi River levee near Fort de Chartres, to allow flood waters to escape back to the Mississippi River channel. This did not significantly lower the water level, but the COE decided against further action.
In a 3:30 a.m. decision, with the flood waters at the top of the sandbags stacked on top of the Prairie du Rocher Creek levee, all three commissioners of the Fort de Chartres - Ivy Landing Drainage and Levee District voted to use dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
to breach the levee in two additional locations. Because of risk, the COE had argued against such a decision. The village put out a call for help and added a foot and a half of sandbags to the creek levee. Finally, the two openings allowed enough water to escape back to the main channel so that the town was saved from flooding. The levee still stands strong today, a reminder to those who helped stop the flooding of the small town, of the accomplishments they made that year.
Prairie du Rocher is a village with a rich history. Mainly a farming town, Prairie du Rocher has a few reminders of that history buried within the soil. It has not changed much since the 1990s. Some buildings have been renovated. Several historic houses in the town date from French colonial days, including the Creole House.
French customs practiced in Prairie du Rocher include La Guiannée
La Guiannee
La Guiannée Celebrated on December 31 La Guiannée or La Guignolée is a French medieval New Year's Eve tradition that is still practiced in two towns in the United States. The tradition related to poor people being able to ask the more wealthy for food and drink at the celebrations of winter...
, a custom of caroling on New Year's Eve dating back to medieval times in France. It has been celebrated in Prairie du Rocher every New Year's Eve since settlement in 1722. The town also celebrates Rendezvous during the summer, as well as the winter, at the Fort de Chartres
Fort de Chartres
Fort de Chartres was a French fortification first built in 1720 on the east bank of the Mississippi River in present-day Illinois. The Fort de Chartres name was also applied to the two successive fortifications built nearby during the 18th century in the era of French colonial control over...
. During that time, people from a broad area come to camp out for the weekend. They dress like Indians and French soldiers of the mid-18th century, camp out at the fort, and re-enact the wars that decided the ownership of the fort.
Prairie du Rocher today
Today, Prairie du Rocher is still the same small town that it was decades ago. The main renovation would have to be Lisa's Bar and Grille, ran by Lisa Durbin.The town has one elementary school for grades K-8. Advanced students must travel to a nearby town for high school. The village has a library and two parks, one owned by the school and the other by the town. Melching's Korner Market occupies a corner.
The volunteer fire department occupies part of the city hall (which also holds the post office). Two small mechanic shops take care of any car problems, Vernon's and L&L automotive. Three bars are located along the highway: Rudy's, Lisa's Bar and Grille, and the American Legion.
Geography
Prairie du Rocher is located at 38°4′54"N 90°5′46"W (38.081755, -90.096243). It is approximately 40 miles (64.4 km) south of St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. It has an elevation of 396 feet (120.7 m) above sea-level and is situated underneath the Mississippi River bluffs. It is located approximately 4 miles (6 km) east of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all of it land.
Illinois Route 155
Illinois Route 155
Illinois Route 155 is an east–west state highway in southwestern Illinois. It runs from Fort de Chartres - outside of Prairie du Rocher - to Illinois Route 3 in Ruma. This is a distance of approximately .- Route description :...
is the only state highway that runs through Prairie du Rocher. It connects the town with Ruma, Illinois
Ruma, Illinois
Ruma is a village in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. The population was 260 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ruma is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
, 7 miles (11.3 km) to the northeast, and Fort de Chartres
Fort de Chartres
Fort de Chartres was a French fortification first built in 1720 on the east bank of the Mississippi River in present-day Illinois. The Fort de Chartres name was also applied to the two successive fortifications built nearby during the 18th century in the era of French colonial control over...
, 4 miles (6 km) to the west. Bluff Road connects the town to as far south as Ellis Grove
Ellis Grove, Illinois
Ellis Grove is a village in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. The population was 381 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ellis Grove is located at ....
and as far north as Columbia
Columbia, Illinois
Columbia is a city in Monroe and St. Clair County in the U.S. state of Illinois, about south of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 7,922 at the 2000 census.-History:...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 613 people, 240 households, and 160 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,076.2 people per square mile (415.2/km²). There were 255 housing units at an average density of 447.7 per square mile (172.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 99.02% White, 0.33% Native American, and 0.65% from two or more races.
There were 240 households out of which 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the village the population was spread out with 29.2% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 81.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $35,795, and the median income for a family was $44,659. Males had a median income of $31,750 versus $20,556 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $14,771. About 9.3% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.
Fort de Chartres
Fort de ChartresFort de Chartres
Fort de Chartres was a French fortification first built in 1720 on the east bank of the Mississippi River in present-day Illinois. The Fort de Chartres name was also applied to the two successive fortifications built nearby during the 18th century in the era of French colonial control over...
is a French military fort constructed in the 18th century. It later was designated an Illinois state historic site. State budget cuts in the fall of 2008 closed the fort until the following spring. Since the fall of 2009, the fort has been open for visitors.
External links
News from Randolph County- "Illinois Town Cuts Levee Against Federal Advice", The Randolph County Herald Tribune, Website
- The New York Times