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| == Praire du Rocher, Illinois == | |||
| '''Prairie du Rocher''' is a village located in ]. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 613. It was founded in 1722 by the French and its name roughly translates to "land under the rock" in French. | |||
| {{US-geo-stub}} | |||
| ==Geography== | |||
| Prairie du Rocher is located at 38°4'54" North, 90°5'46" West (38.081755, -90.096243){{GR|1}}. It is approximately 40 miles south of ]. It has an elevation of 396 feet above sea-level and is situated underneath the Mississippi River bluffs. | |||
| '''Prairie du Rocher''' ("Prairie of the Rock" in ]) is a small town founded in the ] in the American ]. The town is located near bluffs that flank the east side of the Mississippi River, in the area once called the "American Bottom" in reference to its rich bottomland soil. | |||
| According to the ], the village has a total area of 1.5 ] (0.6 ]). 1.5 km² (0.6 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water. | |||
| Prairie du Rocher, now part of Randolph County, ], is one of the oldest communities founded as a French settlement that survives in the 21st century. The nearby ], site of a French military fortification and colonial headquarters established in ], is now a state park and historical site. The fort and town were a center of government and commerce at the time when France claimed a vast territory in North America, ], which stretched from ] and the ] to ]. | |||
| ==Demographics== | |||
| As of the ]{{GR|2}} of 2000, there were 613 people, 240 households, and 160 families residing in the village. The ] was 415.2/km² (1,076.2/mi²). There were 255 housing units at an average density of 172.7/km² (447.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 99.02% ], 0.00% ], 0.33% ], 0.00% ], 0.00% ], 0.00% from ], and 0.65% from two or more races. 0.00% of the population were ] or ] of any race. | |||
| There were 240 households out of which 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were ] living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.16. | |||
| In the village the population was spread out with 29.2% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 81.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males. | |||
| The median income for a household in the village was $35,795, and the median income for a family was $44,659. Males had a median income of $31,750 versus $20,556 for females. The ] for the village was $14,771. 8.3% of the population and 9.3% of families were below the ]. 6.3% of those under the age of 18 and 14.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. | |||
| ==History== | |||
| Prairie du Rocher was founded in 1722 by French soldiers from nearby ]. A tract of land was donated to Pierre Dugue Boisbriant, the commandant and builder of Fort de Chartres, by the Royal Indian Company. The town was located under the fertile Mississippi River bluffs and provided food to ] and other lower ] communities. | |||
| It is claimed to be the oldest town to continunally exist in Illinois. The only two older towns in Illinois - ] and ] - were each abandoned at some point during their history. | |||
| Following the British victory in the ], many of the town's French residents fled across the ] to towns such as ] and ] to avoid British rule. | |||
| ] captured Prairie du Rocher for the ] during the ] in his campaign that eventually resulted in the capture of ]. | |||
| Prairie du Rocher was one of the few Mississippi River towns able to escape the flood waters from the ]. After flood waters had engulfed Fort de Chartres, they were threatening the town of Prairie du Rocher itself. With only the ] levee protecting the town, the ] decided to break through the Mississippi River levee near Fort de Chartres to allow the flood waters to escape back to the Mississippi River channel. This innovative decision spared the main town from the flood waters. | |||
| Today Prairie du Rocher is a small village with a rich history. Mainly a farming town, Prairie du Rocher still has a few reminders of that history. Besides nearby Fort de Chartres, there are several unique and historic houses in the town, including the ]. | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| {{Mapit-US-cityscale|38.081755|-90.096243}} | |||
| ==References== | |||
| *http://www.greatriverroad.com/stegen/randattract/pdr.htm | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
Revision as of 18:36, 21 March 2006
Praire du Rocher, Illinois
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Prairie du Rocher ("Prairie of the Rock" in French) is a small town founded in the French colonial period in the American Midwest. The town is located near bluffs that flank the east side of the Mississippi River, in the area once called the "American Bottom" in reference to its rich bottomland soil.
Prairie du Rocher, now part of Randolph County, Illinois, is one of the oldest communities founded as a French settlement that survives in the 21st century. The nearby Fort de Chartres, site of a French military fortification and colonial headquarters established in 1720, is now a state park and historical site. The fort and town were a center of government and commerce at the time when France claimed a vast territory in North America, New France, which stretched from Louisiana and the Illinois Country to Canada.
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