IN THE EARLY DAYS OF COLONIZATION, THE ILLINOIS COUNTRY CONSISTED OF ENDLESS STRETCHES OF PRAIRIE.
IN THE SOUTH, SUNLIGHT WAS
CHOKED BY THE DENSE FOILAGE.
NO WONDER RIVERS WERE THE ROADS
BACK THEN.
BUT WHAT COULD BRING COMMERCE
COULD ALSO BRING INVADERS.
HELLO, I AM JIM WILHELM. TODAY WE ARE VISITING ILLINOIS' FIRST STATE PARK WHICH IS
LOCATED NEAR METROPOLIS.
NATION'S WISHING TO CONTROL THE
INDIAN AND THE FUR TRADE OR THE
FRONTIER LANDS, THIS WAS THE
STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT PLACE.
FRENCH INDIAN WAR BROKE OUT,
FRENCH COMMANDERS WERE WORRIED
ABOUT BRITISH INTRUSION INTO THE
OHIO RIVER VALLEY.
FROM FORT DESHARD, TROOPS WERE
SENT TO BUILD A NEW FOR THE.
THIS BLUFF IS A GREAT SPOT. 33 MILES DOWN RIVER IS THE MISSISSIPPI.
JUST UP THERE BY THE BRIDGE IS
THE JUNCTION OF THE CUMBERLAN
AND TENNESSEE RIVERS.
FROM THIS SPOT, SOLDIERS COULD
SEE ANYTHING COMING UP FROM THE
SOUTH OR ANYTHING COMING FROM
THE WEST.
TODAY VISITORS CAN WANDER
THROUGH THE ORIGINAL FOR THE
SITE AS UNCOVERED BY OR KEY
LOGICAL DIGS.
CLOSE BY IS THE MUSEUM HOUSING
ARTIFACTS AND TELL THE STORY OF
THE SEVERAL STRUCTURES THAT
STOOD ON THE SAME SPOT.
THREE FORTS WERE BUILT ON THIS
SPOT.
THE FIRST IN 1857 WAS TO HAVE
HAD STONE WALLS LIKE DE SHARD,
BUT MONEY AND MATERIALS WERE IN
SHORT SUPPLY.
SO THEY USED TREES FOUND ALONG
THE RIVER BANKS SUCH AS BIRCH
AND COTTONWOOD.
UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE ARE SOFT
WOODS BEING AND BECAUSE OF THAT,
AND HASTY CONSTRUCTION, THE FOR
THE HAD TO BE REBUILT JUST TWO
YEARS LATER.
THAT NEW STRUCTURE WAS NAMED
MASSIC AFTER FRENCH MASTER OF
COLONIAL AFFAIRS.
AT THE CORNER IS THE FRENCH MADE
BASTIELS RACED PLATFORMS FOR
CANNONS.
AGAINST THE WALLS WERE THE
BUILDINGS THAT HELD THE LIVING
QUARTERS, KITCHEN AND POWDER
ROOM.
ONLY TIME THE FOR THE'S DEFENSES
WERE TESTED OCCURRED SOMETIME
LATER WHEN CHEROKEE INDIANS
UNSUCCESSFULLY ATTACKED.
IT WAS THE ONLY BATTLE EVER
FOUGHT HERE.
MEANWHILE, THE SUN WAS ABOUT TO
SET ON FRANCE'S NEW WORLD.
THE WAR WAS NOT GOING WELL, AND THESE WALLS HERE WERE A HAVEN FOR TROOPS FLEEING THE ADVANCING
BRITISH.
OH, AND FURTHER EVIDENCE OF
FRANCE'S DECLINING INFLUENCE WAS
THAT MASSAC WAS THE LAST FRENCH
FOR THE BUILT IN NORTH AMERICA.
IN 1763, THE TREATY OF PARIS WAS SIGNED OFFICIALLY ENDING THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
LANDS WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI
HAD BEEN SEATED TO SPAIN. THOSE
EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI NOW
BELONG TO BRITAIN.
AFTER THE LAST FRENCH TROOPS
LEFT, LOCAL INDIANS BURNED THE
FOR THE REDUCING TO CHARRED
REMAINS THIS OUTPOST OF THE ONCE
MIGHTY EMPIRE.
WHEN THE BRITISH CAME TO
FORMALLY TAKE POSSESSION, THEY
DISCOVER THE FOR THE WAS GONE
AND CONTINUED ONTO DE SHARDS.
WHILE THE BRITISH HAD NO NEED TO
REBUILD THE FOR THE, THEY DID
LEAVE A LASTING IMPRESSION.
APPARENTLY THEY HAD TROUBLE
PRONOUNCING THE NAME, THEY JUST
SHORTENED IT TO MASSAC, AND THAT
NEW NAME HAS BEEN USED EVER
SINCE.
IN 1778, 13 YEARS AFTER THE
BRITISH CLAIMED THE FOR THE,
ANOTHER MILITARY INVADER ARRIVED
REVOLUTIONARY WAR, WEST VIRGINIA
GOVERNOR PATRICK HENRY WANTED TO
SOLIDIFY HIS STATE'S CLAIMS TO
THE LANDS.
HE ORDERED A FORCE TO CAPTURE
BRITISH SETTLEMENTS.
TODAY A STATUE COMMEMORATES THE
LEADER, GEORGE ROGERS CLARK.
HE CAME HERE NOT REALIZING THAT
FOR THE MASSAC HAD BEEN
ABANDONED.
HE WENT ONTO CAPTURE KASKASKIA
WITHOUT FIRING A SHOT, AND THEN
HE WENT ONTO TAKE VINCENNES.
>> AMERICA NOW OWNED THE LAND,
BUT PROBLEMS STILL AROSE AFTER
THE WAR.
LOCAL INDIAN TRIBES WERE VERY
HOSTILE TO THE IDEA OF NEW
SETTLERS, AND SPAIN, WHICH STILL
CONTROLLED THE LAND IN THE WEST,
WAS EYEING THE ILLINOIS COUNTRY.
IN 1794, PRESIDENT WASHINGTON ORDERED GENERAL ANTHONY WAYNE TO REBUILD THE FOR THE.
WHEN THE AMERICANS ARRIVED, THEY
LIKED THE STYLE OF THE FRENCH
FOR THE SO MUCH THEY BUILT
THEIR'S RIGHT ON TOP OF IT,
USING THE OUTLINE OF THE OLD FOR
THE.
NEXT TO THE ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE
STANDS REPRODUCTION OF THE
AMERICAN FOR THE.
INSTEAD OF BASTIOLNS, BLACK WERE
PROVIDED, IT PROVIDED ELEVATED
LOOK OUT BUT EXTRA LIVING
QUARTERS FOR SOME OF THE MEN.
TWO YEARS AFTER ITS COMPLETION,
SPAIN DECIDED TO TEST AMERICA'S
RESOLVE.
A GUN BOAT ARMED WITH ONE SIX
POUND CANNON AND EIGHT SWIVEL
GUNS WAS SENT UP THE RIVER.
CAPTAIN PIKE, COMMANDER, ORDERED
A SHOT FIRED ACROSS THE SHIP'S
BOUGH.
THE SHIP TURNED AROUND AND AFTER
FILING A PROTEST WENT HOME.
THE CAPTAIN WHO ORDERED THAT
SHOT WAS ZEBULIN PIKE, THE SAME
MEN WHO LED TWO EXPEDITIONS
ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND
FOR WHOM PIKE'S PEAK IS NAMED.
THE YEAR IS 1799. A NEW CENTURY LOOMS ON THE HORIZON.
SETTLEMENTS ARE SPRINGING UP IN
THE NEW TERRITORY, AND TRAFFIC
IS INCREASING ON THE OHIO RIVER.
HERE U.S. TREASURY DEPARTMENT
SETS UP A CUSTOMS OFFICE TO
COLLECT TAXES ON GOODS BEING
SHIPPED.
DURING THE DAY AN OFFICER KEEPS
WATCH TO ENSURE ALL FLAT BOATS
STOP AT THE FOR THE.
THE FOR THE BECOMES A SAFE HAVEN FOR WEARY TRAVELERS, PLUS IT IS ALSO A GATEWAY INTO ILLINOIS FOR
MANY SETTLERS, AND THE CLARK
FAMILY RETURNS.
THIS TIME YOUNGER BROTHER
WILLIAM ALONG WITH MARY WEATHER
LEWIS BEGINS THEIR FAMOUS
JOURNEY TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN.
IN FACT, THEY HIRE A LOCAL
FRENCH MAN BY THE NAME OF GEORGE
JULIARD, A SKILLED HUNTER AND
EXPERT IN BOTH INDIAN AND SIGN
LANGUAGES.
BUT THE FRONTIER IS MOVING WEST.
ILLINOIS IS BECOMING SETTLED.
>>
IN 1811, THE MOST POWERFUL EARTHQUAKE EVER RECORDED IN NORTH AMERICA ROCKED THE U.S.
THE NEW MAD MADRID QUAKE WAS
FELT AS FAR EAST AS BALTIMORE.
IT CAUSED THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
TO FLOW NORTH WARD AND IT ALSO
DESTROYED THE FOR THE.
BEFORE REPAIRS ARE COMPLETED,
THE WAR OF 1812 ERUPTS AS
RECRUITS ARE RUSHED HERE FOR
TRAINING.
UNFORTUNATELY, THEY ARRIVE JUST
IN TIME TO EXPERIENCE A HARSH
WINTER.
INADEQUATE SHELTER, PLUS LACK OF
CLOTHING AND FOOD SUPPLIES LEADS
TO MANY DEATHS.
THE REPAIRS ARE NEVER COMPLETED.
AFTER THE WAR, SINCE THE
FRONTIER HAS MOVED WEST AND NO
LONGER IN ILLINOIS, THE FOR THE
IS ABANDONED.
CARETAKER IS ASSIGNED TO LOOK
AFTER THE WALL, BUT HE SELLS OFF
THE WOOD TO PASSING STEAMSHIP
LINES FOR FUEL.
ONCE AGAIN THE FOR THE
DISAPPEARS FROM THE BANKS OF THE
OHIO RIVER. BUT IT IS USED ONE
MORE TIME FOR MILITARY PURPOSES
WHEN A CAMP IS ESTABLISHED
DURING THE CIVIL WAR TO PROTECT
ILLINOIS FROM ANOTHER FEARED
INVASION.
THOSE SOLDIERS ARE NOT HERE LONG
BEFORE A MEASLES EPIDEMIC SWEEPS
THE CAMP FORCING IT'S A BAN
DONMENT.
AT THAT TIME, FOR THE MASSAC
SEEMS DEFENDANT CONTINUED FOR
THE PAGES OF HISTORY.
SHORTLY AFTER THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION CONVINCED
THE LEGISLATURE IN SPRINGFIELD
TO PURCHASE THIS SITE ALONG WITH
24 ACRES.
IN 1908, IT WAS DEDICATED AS
FIRST STATE MARK IN ILLINOIS.
>> SINCE THEN, AS WE HAVE SEEN,
IN 1939, ARCHEOLOGICAL
EXCAVATIONS DEFINE THE
PERIMETERS OF THE ORIGINAL FOR
THE AND LATER RECONSTRUCTION OF
THE AMERICAN FOR THE WAS
COMPLETED.
BUT THE PARK IS MUCH MORE THAN
JUST A LIVING HISTORY.
TODAY IT IS VISTA OF THE OHIO
RIVER BRINGS NOT SOLDIERS, BUT
VISITORS FROM ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
THE PARK HAS GROWN TO
1,450 ACRES WHICH OFFER HIKING
AND CAMPING FACILITIES, THERE IS
EVEN A SECTION SET ASIDE FOR
DEER AND SMALL GAME HUNTING.
WHILE BOATS STILL ARRIVE AND
DEPART FROM THE FOOT OF THE FOR
THE, THEY ARE NOT GUN BOATS, NOT
COMMERCIAL SHIPS, BUT PLEASURE
BOATS.
EACH OCTOBER, DURING THE THIRD WEEKEND, THIS AREA COMES ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF DRUMS AND
BATTLES.
IT IS A SPECIAL TWO DAY EVENT
CALLED FOR THE MASSAC EN
ENCAMPMENT WITH PEOPLE IN PERIOD
COSTUMES RECREATING LIFE IN THE
FOR THE FROM EARLY FRENCH DAYS
TO ABOUT 1820.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE
PARK AND ITS SPECIAL EVENTS CALL
(618)524-9321.