Illinois River

This article is about the river in the U.S. state of Illinois. For other rivers with this name see Illinois River (disambiguation).

History

The Illinois River valley was one of the strongholds of the Illiniwek confederation of Native Americans. The French first met the natives here in 1673. The first European settlement in the state of Illinois was the Jesuit mission founded in 1675 by Father Jacques Marquette on the banks of the Illinois at Starved Rock. In 1680, Robert Cavelier de La Salle built the first fort in Illinois along the river at the present site of Peoria where the Jesuits later relocated.

Related Topics:
Illiniwek - 1673 - European settlement - Jesuit - 1675 - Jacques Marquette - Starved Rock - 1680 - Robert Cavelier de La Salle

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