Modoc - Prairie du Rocher Bluffs

A very scenic drive, if you turn off Rt.3, just North of Ellis Grove, the sign says "Roots", and follow the road along the bluffs. You will be driving on the old Kaskaskia Trace, which originally started out in Kaskaskia and went to Cahokia and St. Louis. Along this route you will pass through Modoc and on into Prairie du Rocher. Following it to the end will take you to Maeystown, in Monroe County.

During the building of Fort de Chartres, stone was quarried from these sandstone bluffs and transported nearly 5 mile to the work site. The task was not an easy one. The stones were loaded onto sledges and wagons, then taken to a large lake which had to be crossed, then pulled by horse, mule and oxen for the remainder of the distance.

The above picture was taken about 2 mile from the bluffs, using a telephoto lens. The large openings you see are the entrances to later day quarry work. It is still in operation today. These bluffs extend up to several hundred feet.

The photo below was taken inside Ft. des Chartres museum, and is a model of the way it "was back when". It is interesting to note the distance from the bluffs to the white dot on the left, which was the fort. The blue strip in the foreground represents the Mississippi River.

The home above sits very near the road, and is an example of the early French houses. It was owned by the Bienvenu's and it was of the first land
grants. (Russ) It is one of the very few remaining homes of that era.

The picture above is one of the many caves along the bluff, this one at ground level. These caves were used by Indians, sometimes as a wintering camp, other times as year around residence. You may park and explore this area, but use caution, as rattlesnakes abound in these bluffs.
The plaque below is attached to the rock wall to the left of the picture.

It reads:
Modoc Rock Shelter
"...As early as 6000 B.C., prehistoric Indians were camping in the shelter of this great sandstone bluff. These nomadic people who lived by hunting animals and gathering plants for food and fibers, came here regularly for more than 6000 years. Later Indian groups who began to settle in villages, used the rock shelter occasionally when hunting. The pioneers and their descendants continued to make use of the shelter in historic times..."
This particular spot has been accepted into the Illinois Historic Register.
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Irwin Peithmann is the archaeologist who discovered the rock shelter, in 1951. A renowned master of his self-taught craft, the museum at Fort des Chartres was named in his honor. He lived for many years among the Indians, becoming expert in their beliefs and customs. Peithmann died in 1981, at the age of 76 years.

The picture above and below show some of the caves near the top of the bluffs, which were also used. Many of the foot paths leading to these caves are still there, but access to them is nearly impossible, due to deterioration of the stone.






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