THERE IS A PLACE IN ROMEOVILLE WHICH REMINDS VISITORS OF ANOTHER CONNECTION,
OF A TIME WHEN ILLINOIS WAS A
PART OF THE FRENCH EMPIRE AND OF
THE FUR TRADE.
IT IS A PLACE WHOSE NAME WAS
BORN IN LEGEND.
>> BACK ABOUT 1690.
MR. SARA CAME BAN HERE WITH A
BRIGADE.
HE WASN'T SURE OF THE SAFETY
FACTOR.
THEY SUPPOSEDLY BURIED THEIR
TRADE GOODS HERE.
THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE A LA CACHE,
AND IT IS HIDING PLACE, STORAGE
PLACE.
THERE IS NOT TOO MANY SITES IN
ILLINOIS, OR, INDEED, MOST OF
THE PART OF THE COUNTRY WHERE
YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT THE FUR
TRADE.
THIS WAS A MAJOR INDUSTRY.
>> THEY ARE, HOW YOU SAY THE
REBEL SOMETIMES BECAUSE THEY
LIKE THE OUTDOORS SO MUCH THEY
DON'T LIKE BEING IN THE OFFICE
AND DOING THE CLERK TYPE OF
DUTIES, AND SOME OF THEM JUST
HAVE NOT BEEN IN THE SCHOOL
BECAUSE MORE WEALTHY PEOPLE
AFFORD THE EDUCATION.
>> AND BASICALLY THE VOYAGER
WERE THE TRUCK DRIVERS AT THE
TIME.
THEY PROVIDED THE MUSCLE, PADDLE
CANOE, AND WHAT THEY NEEDED TO
CARRY THE CANOES AND TRADE GOODS
FROM ONE RIVER SYSTEM TO THE
NEXT.
THERE WAS A COURIER WHO TRAVELED
WITH THEM LIKE THE COMPANY
CLERK.
HE WAS THE ONE WHO ACTUALLY DID
THE ACTUAL TRADING WITH THE
NATIVE PEOPLE.
>> THEY WOULD SIGN A CONTRACT
THAT WAS IN EFFECT SOMEWHAT LIKE
GOING FROM MILITARY TOUR OF DUTY
THEY WOULD SIGN ON FOR A YEAR OR
TWO.
IT WAS A LOT OF BACK BREAKING
LABOR EVEN WHEN YOU ARE LIFTING
A BIRCH BARK.
THE ONE IN THE MUSEUM IS VERY
LIGHT.
ONCE IT HAS BEEN FLOATING WATER,
IT SOAKS THE WATER INTO THE
FIBERS.
THIS CANOE PRETTY MUCH TWO
PEOPLE CAN LIFT NOW, WEIGHS 2 TO
300 PODS.
YOU HAD A LOT OF THE TRADE
GOODS, AND A LOT OF METAL, METAL
AX HEADS, KNIVES, POTS AND PANS,
GLASS BEADS.
YOU HAD A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF
WEIGHT THEY WOULD CARRY.
EACH VOYAGER WAS EXPECTED TO
CARRY APPROXIMATELY TWO-90-POUND
PACKS.
>> IF YOU HURT YOURSELF AND
BREAK A BONE BY YOURSELF IN THE
WILDERNESS, IT IS A FATAL
INJURY.
I AM A WIRY PERSON.
I HAVE TO CARRY TWO OF THOSE
EVERY TRIP WHEN WE GO OVER LAND.
SO IN A SMALL BOAT, MYSELF OR
MAYBE ONE PARTNER I WOULD BE
CARRYING PROBABLY ABOUT A TON OF
SUPPLIES AND IT WOULD INCLUDE A
LITTLE BIT OF FOOD.
>> NATIVE PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY
TRAPPED AND SKINNED AND PREPARED
THE FIRST.
SO FRENCH DIDN'T WANT TO DO
THAT.
THOUGH JUST WANTED TO TRADE.
WHILE THE BENEFIT OF THIS IF YOU
THEN TAKE THIS FUR AND SHAVED
OFF THE PELT AND MIXED WITH
NITRATE OF MERCURY AND PREEPDZ
IN A VAT, THEN YOU COULD HAVE A
MATERIAL WHICH WAS EASILY MOLDED
, MOLDED OVER WOOD FRAMES
INTO HATS.
AND HATS WERE THE PRIMARY USAGE
OF THE FUR.
THEN WHEN YOU PRODUCE A HAT, NOW
NOW HAD WATERPROOF HAT, BECAUSE
YOU HAD WATERPROOF
CHARACTERISTICS OF A BEAVER FUR.
>> I AM AWAY FROM HOME ABOUT
HALF THE YEAR.
WHEN I GO BACK AND CASH IN ON MY
FIRST, I AM PRETTY WEALTHY
PERSON.
>> ISLE A LA CACHE ISLAND IS
80 ACRES.
WE HAVE AMPHITHEATER USED FOR
PROGRAMMING HERE.
INTERPRET TERSE SPEAK IN
PROFESSIONS KNOWN AS FIRST
PERSON WHICH MEANS THEY ARE
TALKING JUST LIKE IF THEY WERE
SOMEONE FROM 1750.
>> THEY SEE US AND THEY KNOW
THERE IS NATIVE AMERICAN SIDE OF
THE ISSUE, AND THERE IS ALSO A
FRENCH EXPLORATION SIDE OF THE
HISTORY HERE.
BUT WE ALSO MAKE THEM KNOW THIS
AS THE BUSINESS SIDE OF IT WAS
REALLY WHAT DROVE THE
RELATIONSHIP.
>> THE BEAVERS ARE STILL HERE.
BEAVERS HAD ACTUALLY BEEN PRETTY
MUCH DIFFERENT TO EXTINCTION BY
THE FUR TRADE PERIOD.
EACH YEAR ISLE A LA CACHE HOSTS
ONE OF THE LARGEST FRENCH
VOYAGER RENDEZVOUS PHREN IN THE
STATE.
IT HAPPENS THE SECOND WEEKEND IN
JUNE.
TO REACH THE ISLE A LA CACHE MUSEUM CALL (815)886-1467.