Starved Rock map
There is a state park, about 11 miles from my home, called Starved Rock - the name derives from a legend that isn't true, however major historical events occurred at this location - and I am in the process of creating maps based on historical accounts, the current lay of the land, historical anecdotes.
I plan to create a period style wilderness map of north central Illinois region, around the Illinois River valley, centered at Starved Rock. I also plan to create a closer view map overview of the Starved Rock environs. Then a map of Fort St. Louis (built by LaSalle in 1677) based on a 1948 archaeological survey by Illinois State University.
Geographic data: Starved Rock is an 80' tall sandstone bluff on the southside of the Illinois River, in a region with many sandstone bluffs and a dozen dells or canyons cut into the bluff. Starved Rock is located on the Illinois River. Opposite the Illinois River was the Grand Village of Kaskaskia - estimated 5000 to 20,000 native Illini here at this time.
Historical background: Robert Rene Cavalier, Sieur de LaSalle established the first of his Fort St. Louis (St. Louis, Missouri is another such location) in an effort to ally the Illini to his goals. LaSalle was direct competition to the Order of the Jesuits in developing this area for King Louis the XIV.
In 1679, a war band of Iroquois natives attacked and decimated the Illini population at the Village of Kaskaskia, nearly wiping the tribe out of existence and ended LaSalle's goals at that location.
Story has it that the Jesuits paid an Illini native a barrel of Whiskey to stab, the Iroquois Chief Pontiac in the back at a Joliet, Illinois trading post. This act is what caused the Iroquois to eliminate the Illini.
Anyway - I just received the entire 1948 study by ISU of Fort St. Louis in the mail today, so I plan to begin creating this series of historic maps as my next project.
(Ravs, don't bite my head off, for not working on my Ukiyo-e at this time...)
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