Located approximately 50 miles south of St. Louis is the town of Prairie du Rocher which translates to "prairie by the rock." The fourth European settlement in Illinois, this village was founded in 1722 shortly after the establishment of Fort de Chartres on a tract granted by the Royal Indian Company to Pierre Dugue Boisbriant, the commandant and builder of the fort. Situated on the fertile farmland beneath the Mississippi River bluffs now called the American Bottoms, Prairie du Rocher provided grain and other foodstuffs to New Orleans and other lower Louisiana Territory communities. A common field was granted in 1730 and the town’s first church was built in 1734.
(Excerpt taken from http://www.greatriverroad.com/stegen/randattract/pdr.htm)
**Thanks to all who helped make the 2013 Big Bad BBQ/Chili Cookoff a big success! Click HERE for a list of award winners, and HERE for our photo album of the event.
CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON WAYS YOU CAN HELP PRAIRIE DU ROCHER GRADE SCHOOL
Click HERE for Prairie du Rocher's flag history
Click HERE for Party at the Park details
Click HERE for Fort de Chartres information
Click HERE for Creole House history
CLICK HERE FOR PRAIRIE DU ROCHER LOCAL WEATHER FORECAST
Last updated: May 7, 2013
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