HR0887 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0887 LRB102 28164 MST 39972 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate the Village of Prairie Du Rocher on its 300th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, Prairie Du Rocher was founded by French colonialists in 1722 in what was called at the time New France; the village's famous Fort de Chartres was built in 1718 to 1720 by Pierre Dugue de Boisbriand and served as the French seat of government and its chief military installation in Upper Louisiana from 1753 to 1763; due to flooding, the fort would begin to fall apart and would be rebuilt four times throughout its duration, first out of wooden logs then out of limestone, where it still stands to this day; and

WHEREAS, Prairie Du Rocher was founded for the purpose of supplying critical wheat and corn to New Orleans and other lower Louisiana territory communities; the fort was built to protect and develop France's holdings, which held great promise for economic opportunity at that time; the village and fort experienced constant flooding from the river and survived two wars and countless Indian incursions; and

WHEREAS, Prairie Du Rocher and the surrounding territory eventually fell under British control after the Seven Years' War, known as the French and Indian War, when France ceded the territory in the Treaty of Paris; King George III's Royal Proclamation of 1763 designated all the land west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Mississippi River as an Indian reserve; this proclamation would be one of the causes of the American Revolutionary War; and

WHEREAS, During the American Revolutionary War, Prairie Du Rocher was captured by George Rogers Clark and his American soldiers, in which they were able to gain full control of the Northwest Territory, which consisted of Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois; even during these transformational changes, the village continued celebrating its French heritage; and

WHEREAS, Prairie Du Rocher still celebrates its French roots, from the Creole House showcasing French architecture to Fort de Chartres showcasing French engineering; during New Year's Eve, members of La Guiannee Society wear 18th century costumes; bearing candles, they carol from door to door performing the French folk song "La Guiannee"; this tradition remains unbroken since 1722, even though the custom has long disappeared in France; the village also celebrates "Rendezvous" during the summer at the fort, camping out at the fort and reenacting wars and celebrating the heritage of Indians and French soldiers of the mid-18th century; and

WHEREAS, Prairie Du Rocher might be small in size and in population, but it will never lose its French customs and the rich traditions that make it uniquely Illinoisan and American; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Village of Prairie Du Rocher on its 300th anniversary and wish it many more wonderful years; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Village of Prairie Du Rocher as a symbol of our respect and esteem.