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Historic Sites in Illinois
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Bishop Hill State Historic Site
Bishop Hill Colony was founded in 1846 by a group of Swedish
religious dissidents who believed that the Bible was the only
true book of God and that simplicity was the way to salvation.
Those beliefs brought them into conflict with the state church
of Sweden and led to the imprisonment of their leader, Erik
Jansson. Pooling their resources in a common treasure, Jansson
and his followers emigrated to the United States. The first
settlers arrived on the Illinois prairie in the fall of 1846
after walking 160 miles from Chicago. They purchased land and
literally "dug in" for the winter. Shelters-half cave and half
timber-were built into the side of a ravine running through the
town site. Inadequate food and shelter took its toll that first
winter. Ninety-six colonists died. The arrival of more
immigrants from Sweden expanded the colony and laid the
groundwork for remarkable economic gains during the 15 years the
communal village existed. Erik Jansson, considered by his
followers a second Christ, supervised all of the colony's
activities. The industrious colonists prospered under his
leadership, and permanent buildings were begun in 1847. A total
of 20 large commercial buildings were erected and 12,000 acres
of land put into farm production. In 1850 the religious unity of
the colonists was disrupted by Jansson's murder, and management
passed to a seven-member board of trustess. Bishop Hill State
Historic Site is open daily from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. except for
major holidays. For information call: (309)927-3345.
Cahokia Mounds
The remains of the most sophisticated prehistoric Indian
civilization north of Mexico are preserved at Cahokia Mounds
State Historic Site. Within the 2,200-acre tract, located a few
miles west of Collinsville, Illinois, lie the archaeological
remnants of the central section of the ancient Indian city that
is today known as Cahokia. The United Nations Educational,
Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1982
designated Cahokia Mounds a World Heritage Site for its
importance to our understanding of the prehistory of North
America. Cahokia Mounds is managed by the Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency. According to archaeological finds, the city
of Cahokia was inhabited from about A.D. 700 to 1400. At its
peak, from A.D. 1l00 to 1200, the city covered nearly six square
miles and had a population as great as 20,000 in extensive
residential sections. Houses were arranged in rows and around
open plazas, and the main agricultural fields lay outside the
city. The site is named for a subtribe of the Illini Indians-the
Cahokia-who occupied the area when the French arrived in the
late 1600s. What its ancient inhabitants called the city is
unknown, since the city existed before European contact.
Instead, archaeological investigations and scientific tests have
provided what is known of the once-thriving Indian community.
The fate of the prehistoric Cahokians and their city is unknown.
Depletion of resources probably contributed to the city's
decline. A climate change after A.D. 1200 may have affected crop
production and the plant and animal resources needed to sustain
a large population. War, disease, social unrest, and declining
political and economic power may have also taken their toll. A
gradual decline in population began sometime after A.D. 1200,
and by 1400, the site had been abandoned. Cahokia Mounds State
Historic Site is open daily 8 A.M. to dusk. For information
call: (618)346-5160
Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site
Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site is a reconstruction of
the village where Abraham Lincoln spent his early adulthood. The
six years Lincoln spent in New Salem formed a turning point in
his career. From the gangling youngster who came to the village
in 1831 with no definite objectives, he became a man of purpose
as he embarked upon a career of law and statesmanship. Although
he never owned a home here, Lincoln was engaged in a variety of
activities while he was at New Salem. He clerked in a store,
chopped wood, enlisted in the Black Hawk War, served as
postmaster and deputy surveyor, failed in business, and was
elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 1834 after an
unsuccessful try in 1832. The six years that Lincoln spent in
New Salem almost completely encompass the town's brief history.
The community was thriving when Lincoln settled here in 1831,
but growth stalled before his 1837 move to Springfield to
practice law. The 1839 establishment of the county seat at
Petersburg hastened New Salem's decline. Facilities: Visitor
Center, Restaurant, Picnicking, Camping, Talisman River Boat
Trip and Outdoor Theater. Hours of Operation: New Salem is open
daily to the public from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. from early March to
late October. Open 8 A.M. to 4 P.M. the remainder of the year.
For information call: (217)632-4000
Old State Capitol State Historic Site
The Old State Capitol served as the Illinois statehouse from
1839 to 1876. Workers laid its cornerstone on July 4, 1837, five
months after legislators voted to move the state capital from
Vandalia to Springfield. The first rooms were opened for use in
1839, though political struggles and financial problems delayed
the building's completion for nearly fifteen years. Unlike
earlier Illinois statehouses (at Kaskaskia and Vandalia), all of
the major executive, legislative, and judicial functions of
state government were housed in the new capitol. The state's
chief executive officers - governor, auditor, secretary of
state, treasurer, and the superintendent of public instruction -
occupied offices in the building, along with their staffs. Both
houses of the General Assembly met there, as did the Illinois
Supreme Court, which boasted one of the state's finest law
libraries. The Old State Capitol's design reflects Springfield
architect John Rague's enthusiasm for Greek Revival
architecture, a popular style in Illinois during the early
1800s. The building's perfectly balanced design, majestic
classical columns, and exterior details symbolized the ancient
Greek example of orderly progress and democracy. During the
1840s and 50s, the building dominated a public square that was
the center of Springfield's community life. Concerts, dances,
levees, and civic affairs, as well as political rallies and
conventions, were held within the statehouse walls. The building
was dismantled in 1966 and rebuilt with a modern physical plant
and staff facilities. Today the Old State Capitol is managed by
the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. History comes alive
at the Old State Capitol on Fridays and Saturdays (except in
May) when site interpreters offer the special interpretive
program "Mr. Lincoln's World." The program uniquely blends the
traditional guided tour with actors dressed in period clothing
portraying characters from the 1850s. These tours are offered
from 10 A.M. to noon and from 1 P.M. to 4 P.M. For information
call: (217)785-7960
Fort de Chartres
Fort de Chartres is the last of three eighteenth-century forts
by that name erected near the Mississippi River by France's
colonial government. From 1720 to 1763 French administration of
the Illinois Country was centered at the forts, built
successively over a 40-year period on or near the same site. The
stone fort, built in the 1750s and abandoned in 1771, has been
partially reconstructed to provide a glimpse of life in Illinois
under the French regime. Fort de Chartres State Historic Site,
which also preserves the archaeological remains of the earlier
wooden forts, is managed by the Illinois Historic Preservation
Agency. Fort de Chartres State Historic Site is open daily from
9 A.M. to 5 P.M. It is closed on major holidays. For information
call: (618)284-7230
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