Sisters of The Visitation
Many of the residents of Kaskaskia wanted
an education for their daughters, so they
began circulating petitions to this end.
Of the main personages leading this drive
was Pierre MENARD, the former Lieutenant
Governor of the state, and William MORRISON,
a leading merchant.
The Sisters of the Visitation arrived in
1833 to open a school, despite the declining
conditions of Kaskaskia at that time. They
traveled from the East by stage, horse drawn
wagon and by steamboat, with one stage ride
lasting five days.
The second floor of the MORRISON home was
allotted to the Sisters until their building
could be constructed. While there, they recorded
noticing a large crack, which was reportedly
caused by the New Madrid earthquake. Feeling
unsafe, they moved to an empty building owned
by Pierre MENARD, to await the completion
of the academy.
When completed, the academy was a most imposing
structure, four stories tall, with a reported
cost of $30,000 to build. To honor their
patron, the sisters named the academy 'The
MENARD Academy'. Records show the academy
borrowed money from Menard, of which all
debt was forgiven upon his death.
In 1844, torrential rains swelled the Mississippi
river to flood stage, forcing the sisters
to flee and take refuge in the Menard home.
Wishing to retrieve sacred articles, the
sisters sought the assistance of the riverboat
Indiana, which upon its attempt to near the
building, ran into the school, knocking a
huge hole in the side.
After the flood abated, the sisters left
their ruined academy and made a new home
in St. Louis, Missouri, where members of
their Order still practice their faith yet
today.
Later, some of the brick from the ruined
academy was used to build a home for the
parish priest. The damage to the town of
Kaskaskia however, was great enough to cause
county residents to change their county seat.
After this disastrous flood, Chester became
the new center of county government.
