USA > Illinois > Randolph County > Memoirs of a French village : a chronicle of old Prairie du Rocher, 1722-1972 > Part 6
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MR. AND MRS. PAULIN DIDIER
Our country, which has been called the melting-pot of nations, has received citizens from every quarter of the known world. All races and peoples have sent their representa -
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tives to swell the numbers of our population. And of all these nations none has done more for America than France. Who can ever forget that it was the courageous Frenchmen who first penetrated the wilds of the new world, and, not content with a mere sailing along the coast, ascended its rivers and explored the interior of an unknown and dreaded wilder- ness? They settled vast areas such as the Mississippi Valley, which was for centuries a New France. Nor could the subsequent waves of emigration from the eastern states en- tirely obliterate this French civilization, which survives to this day in many names and customs found throughout the Middle West. Mr. Paulin Didier was one of those Frenchman who came to Illinois during the last century.
He was born in France on December 26, 1845, and emigrated with his parents in 1847. The family settled in Cahokia, then a thriving city. With the decline of importance of Cahokia, the elder Didier left that place in 1854 and secured a farm in the vicinity of Prairie du Rocher, Ill. Here they remained, and here the parents died in 1 888. The son, who had lived with his parents all this time, now came into possession of the farm, which consisted of 85 acres. Under his care the soil yielded plentifully, and as a result his prosperity increased, until he became known as one of the most successful farmers of the district. He died a wealthy man, his death occurring in 1907 on the eleventh of March.
Mrs. Didier was before her marriage, Miss Leonline Bige. Her father was the well known Lawrence Gige, a farmer of Prairie du Rocher. She was born here on March 10, 1858, and had her education in the parochial school. Upon leaving school she lived in the home of her parents, where she became a master of the various household arts and learned all that must be known by the farmer's wife, which is indeed not a little. It was her perfection in this respect which contributed much toward the success of her husband. No children were born to this couple. Since the death of her husband Mrs. Didier has continued to reside upon the farm, which has been rented. She reserves a part of the farm for the raising of chickens, which is her favorite occupation, and to which she devotes all of her time.
W. A. BLOW AND JOSEPH BLOW
Among the prominent inhabitants of Prairie du Rocher who are natives of the locality is Mr. W. A. Blow. He was born September 9, 1860, on a farm near the town. He finished the public school and then became the right-hand man of his father, a place which he occupied for twenty-seven years. Finally, in 1887, he rented his own farm. This land became his property in the short space of six years, in 1893, and included 70 acres, but was not large enough to satisfy the ambitious owner, who in the course of time more than doubled it. At the present time he is the proprietor of 155 acres of splendid farm land, situated on the bottom, on Rural Route #4. His parents are now dead, his father having died in April 1912 and his mother in April 1914.
On May 15, 1889, Mr. Blow was married to Miss Lucy Gressinger, a daughter of the widely-known farmer John Gressinger. She was born on August 5, 1868, near Prairie du Rocher, and lived at home until her marriage. Her most prominent characteristic is her activity in behalf of the Church. The children are Perry W., Edgar G., Augusta E., and Rosa A. Blow. Mr. Blow has lately become interested in stock raising, which is beginning to supplant general farming on his grounds, and spends his leisure time in his automobile. He is a familiar personage for many miles about his home. The Church has often had oc- casion to show him gratitude for his faithfulness.
Mr. Joseph Blow was an emigrant to America, although he came to our country at a very early age. His first place of settlement was the city of St. Louis, Mo. Here he lived until his marriage and then removed to the vicinity of Prairie du Rocher, becoming a farmer. He is remembered as a very successful farmer. In fact, anything which he undertook prospered. He died February 12, 1912. His wife (nee Lala Dapron) followed him in death on April 8, 1914.
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Of General Interest
Many old towns and historic locations lay claim to the statement "Washington slept here". Well, Prairie du Rocher cannot make this boast; however, a group of 'Rocher traps- man along with a detachment from Fort de Chartres marked a first when they captured the good General along with his soldiers at Fort Necessity. The events leading to this "only capture" of our first President is worthy of note.
Early in the year 1750, news came to Fort Chartres that the English was urging the Northern Indian tribes to wage war on the French settlers. This prompting came to a head in 1753. In the spring of that year, the Marquis Dequosno, Governor of Canada, sent an expedition to the valley of the Ohio to assure its possession for the French by Actual mil- itary occupation. Marin was in charge and the French built Forts Prosq'ilo, loBoouf, Mao- hault and Vonango in Pennsylvania. The English didn't like this, and Dinwiddie, Governor of Virginia, sent George Washington, a twenty-one year old Adjutant General of the Vir- ginia militia, to give the French, who found on this territory which France claimed be- cause of discovery by Lasalle, notice to move. Washington had a force of about two hun- dred men and had been instructed to build a fort at the Fork of the Ohio, near the present site of Pittsburg. Contrecoeur, a French officer, heard the English intended to take pos- session of this important strategic location, so he immediately built a stockade there which he called Fort Duquesne.
Contrecoeur, as soon as he completed work on Fort Duquesne, sent one of his officers, Coulon de Jumonville with thirty men "to bear summons to any Englishmen he might find in the valley warning them to retire from the French side of the high mountain range (Alle- ghenies nor disturb the English in their territory, as the French were "Wishing to main- tain the harmony which prevailed between the two crowns."
On the morning of May 28, 1754 Washington was led by his Indian guides to Jumon- ville's camp. The French were taken by surprise and cried: "To arms!" Washington or- dered his men to: "Fire!" - - - That started off the bloody and unnecessary "French and Indian War."
Jumonville and eight of his men fell; one man escaped to take the news of the attack to Fort Duquesne, the rest of the French were taken prisoners.
It so happened that, Coulon de Villiers, a brother of Jumonville, and a Captain of troops at Fort de Chartres, was making a delivery of supplies to Fort Duquesne from Fort de Chartres. He asked Contrecoeur for permission to avenge his brother's death, which the French considered a murder, as there was no declaration of war between England and France at that time.
Washington had retreated to Great Meadows (in what is now Pennsylvania) where he re- ceived reinforcements and had hastily built Fort Necessity.
Coulon de Villiers with the troops that had come with him from Fort de Chartres and troops from Fort Duquesno - - - about 500 in all - - - surrounded the Fort on June 28th, 1754, Washington signed the artcles of capitulation on July 3rd, 1754. And that surrender to Captain Coulon de Villiers of Fort de Chartres is the only one ever made by our Own General GEORGE WASHINGTON.
TWO HISTORIC EVENTS
Two hundred and fifty years ago the village of Prairie du Rocher was founded. That was an historic event, worthy of some record. Two hundred and fifty years ago a book was
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written, and published, which has been a first-seller ever since, and has been re-published countless times, and read by tens of millions. Its title is known throughout all the world, it is "Robinson Crusoe." It was written by Daniel Defoe, an Englishman, who founded his story upon the experiences of Alexander Selkirk, a castaway on the lonely island of Juan Fernandez. We link these two historic events, in this publication, because of the striking fact that both were born in the same year.
Historic Brickey Home at Prairie du Rocher
The Brickey House
Nearly every town has an old house with an interesting story. Prairie du Rocher has several, one of which was the Brickey house. Unoccupied for many years, this large three- story, square-framed house with its wide porches, stained glass, shuttered windows, and mansard roof attracted the attention of the most casual visitor to the village. It stood a- mong large trees on a generous plot of ground below the bluff, it silently proclaimed the the hospitality that once was known there. The fine iron fence that enclosed the grounds emphasized its air of detachment.
John Brickey
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To know the story of this old house one must go to the Chicago of the late 1860's and learn something of another building that Uranus H. Crosby built there in 1865. Crosby, a wealthy distiller, decided to contribute to the culture of Chicago by erecting a magnifi- cent opera house. W. W. Boyington, a noted architect, designed a splendid structure that Crosby had constructed on the corner of Dearborn and Washington at a cost of more than $600,000 -- a great sum for that day. It quickly became a showplace of the pre-fire city.
Chicago was proud of the new building. Crosby quickly learned, however that owning an opera house was expensive. In 1867, less than two years after its completion, he an- nounced that he was broke and also expressed an intention of disposing of the opera house and 305 works of art through a nationwide lottery.
Elaborate preparations for the event were made. Some 210,000 tickets -- each of them numbered and bearing a nice engraving of the opera house -- were printed and offered for sale at $5.00 each.
These were sold within a few weeks, and on January 21, 1867, drawings were made in the opera house before a large and interested audience. The number drawn for the grand prize was 586000, and the owner of the winning ticket was Abraham Hagerman Lee of Prairie du Rocher.
There being no telegraph in Prairie du Rocher, a notice that Lee was the winner was sent to a law firm in St. Louis and relayed from there to Belleville. From Belleville, a mes senger was dispatched on horseback to notify Mr. Lee. Before this messenger reached him, however, two men who had seen a news report of his good fortune in a St. Louis pa- per hastened to Prairie du Rocher to relate the good news or perhaps with hopes of doing some fast trading.
The two men found Lee reading to his sick wife. Neighbors soon heard the news and hastened to offer their congratulations. The messenger from Belleville arrived later in the evening. It is said that Mr. Lee answered the door in a long nightgown, and the messenger bowed low before him as he delivered the official notice. None of the messages, official or otherwise, seemed to disturb or excite Mr. Lee unduly. He even indicated a slight vex- ation and remarked, "I wish they had to swallow the opera house." But he carefully guard- ed his ticket while he continued to care for his ailing wife.
A few days later, when his wife's health had improved somewhat, Lee went to Chicago to meet Crosby, requesting at the outset that publicity be avoided. Lee indicated a will- ingness to sell his claim for $200,000. Crosby accepted the offer and paid that amount to Lee who quietly went back to Prairie du Rocher. Crosby once more was in full possession of the opera house, and he had profited to the extent of about $600,000 from the sale of lottery tickets.
Shortly after his return from Chicago, Lee built the residence that recently stood. Two years later hedied in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the house was bought by F. W. Brickey, Lee's partner in the operation of the Prairie du Rocher grist snd flour mill. Since that time it has been known as the Brickey House, noted for its hospitality and sociability and as a local center of culture.
Before his death, Brickey expressed a wish that if none of his children chose to make it their home, the house should be given to some charitable organization. In the event no use was made of it, Brickey asked that the home remain unoccupied or be dismantled.
The Brickey mansion long abandoned but still reflecting past glory, burned to the ground early Sunday morning, April 5th, 1970, ending a story which began with a lottery ticket more than a yundred years ago.
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The fire was discovered at 2:45 a.m. when already out of control. Prairie du Rocher firemen concentrated their efforts in protecting business places across the street. Blaz- ing sparks and debris were carried more than a block by the strong draft.
The Red Bud Fire Co. was alerted and arrived in Prairie du Rocher about 3:15 a.m. and remained on stand-by for an hour. The last of the frame structure fell about 3:45 a.m.
During the 1930's, industry finally arrived in Prairie du Rocher in the forms of two quarries. The Prairie du Rocher Quarry owned by Al Stotz, and the Columbia Quarry. These quarries mine limestone and rock from the same bluffs that the French used to construct the new fort in 1750. It may be noted that the quarries are the largest, oldest operating lime-rock quarries in the United States.
The Cemetery at 'Rocher is the oldest Cemetery in continuous use in all of mid Ameri- ca. It started about 1722 as the Church yard surrounding the old log chapel of St. Joseph's. It is the only parish and Community Cemetery the town has ever had, and burials have taken place in it continuously for over two centuries. Here lie buried Jean St. Theresa Longlois, the founder of Prairie du Rocher. Likewise buried in what once was the sanc- tuary of the old church, are the bodies of Father Luc Callet (died 1765) and Father Jo- seph Gagnon (died 1755) both were pastors of St. Anne at Fort Chartres, originally buried there and transferred to Prairie du Rocher in 1786. About 1935 all graves were levelled and footstones were buried, so that today this ancient burial ground presents a beautiful sigh with it's smooth green lawn and a contrast of varied colored markers.
On September 8, 1971 A.D. a memorial was erected "To mark the site of the sanctu- ary of the original church of St. Joseph and to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the first baptism recorded in the parish September 8, 1721. St. Joseph church and cemetery were located in the middle of the first village of Prairie du Rocher. Here lie buried the remains of Michigamea Indians, early French adventurers, black slaves, victims of wars, massacres, floods, and plagues. Veterans of all wars of the United States and Pastors and parishners of St. Joseph Church of three centures - May they rest with God."
Until 1800, Prairie du Rocher was a completely French village. The French had made no great improvements in the village, but they were content and went about their farming in a carefree manner. They managed to live in peace and harmony with the Indians. When with the Indians, the French acted like Indians, and when the Indians were with the French, they tried to act like Frenchmen. This may have been what impressed Christian Schultz when he visited the village in 1810. He describes Prairie du Rocher as,
"Being a continuous prairie of the richest soil, . . an old French settlement of about
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forty families, who are all Roman Catholics, and support a confessor and a chapel of their own. This village is built upon a very contracted scale, the streets being barely twenty feet wide ... The people of this settlement all live by tillage, and in their outward ap- pearance seem but a few degrees superior to their savage neighbors; the Indians yet, when accosted, they immediately discover their national trait of politeness."
Prairie du Rocher received another bad review in 1823, when it was described as,
Its' (Prairie du Rocher) situation is low and unhealthy, and during wet season is very disagreeable. The houses are generally built in the French style, and the inhabitants are, with few exceptions, poor and illiterate. The streets are very narrow and dirty. Here is a Roman Catholic chapel, which is its' only public building. In the vicinity, is an extensive common, which is attached to the village, and is under to controul six of the trustees. Prairie du Rocher in 1766 contained 14 families; at present, between 30 and 40 . . . Few Americans have as yet disturbed the repose of the ancient inhabitants of this place, nor is it probable they ever will, as it possesses no advantages, and is withal very unheal- thy.
The constitution of 1818 in Illinois provided that no more slaves could be brought into the state, but that the old French settlers were allowed to retain their slaves. The village was incorporated in 1825, but the inhabitants saw no great need for the incorporation, and it was soon abandoned. This same process was repeated in 1835. The mosquitos were not late arrivals in Prairie du Rocher as evidenced by the reminiscences of J. F. Snyder, who visited the settlement in 1839,
"I also have a lively recollection of the mosquitos there, Prairie du Rocher more num- erous, and more voracious than those of Kaskaskia. The Barbeaus Antoine our host and hostess, were unalloyed specimens of the non-progressive exotic Creole race that origi- nally settled in the American Bottom, dark-complexioned, black-haired, and black-eyed, slow-motioned, contented, sociable, and very kind and hospitable."
Despite the mosquitos, Prairie du Rocher seems to have been infested with an indus- trious spirit about the middle of the 19th century. In 1840, William Henery, an American, built a steam mill to process the wheat grown in the area. This mill was constructed on the site of the present day, H. C. Cole Milling Company.
Bluff Scene, Prairie Du Rocher, Ill.
Writing in 1859, E. J. Montague describes the inhabitants and the commercial aspects of the village as,
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"The history of Prairie du Rocher presents no marked event. It was strictly a French village for more than a hundred years, and the orderly inhabitants quietly pursued their various vocations, enjoying their social amusements undisturbed. They were happy, con- tented people, unambitious, and careless of wealth or distinction. They were free from that strife, contention, and turmoil, which attends an uninterrupted stream of quiet joyous happiness.
The place now contains one first class flouring mill; four dry goods stores; two gro- cery stores; two furniture stores; one saddlery shop; one boot and shoe shop; one wagon shop; one wagon manufactory; two carpenter and cabinet shops; two hotels; one church no resident priest.
With the advent of the 20th century, Prairie du Rocher seems to have faded quickly from the history books. The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois published in 1907, went as far as to say that Prairie du Rocher had become extinct. However, as the village started its 181st year of existence, the great iron machine arrived in Prairie du Rocher in 1903. A brick hotel sprang up near the depot, and many people predicted that Prairie du Rocher would now lose its' unique isolation and quickly succumb to the hustle and bustle of the modern world. Mail now arrived on the train, to such far away places as St. Louis, Missouri. The original railroad line seems to have been a part of the Iron Mountain Line. Today, the Missouri Pacific Line runs through Prairie du Rocher, servicing both mills, but the passenger service has been discontinued.
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A big celebration was held in 1939 of the Golden Jubilee, Fiftieth Anniversary of the Priesthood, of the Very Reverend William Van Delfth, pastor of St. Joseph's Church. Prair- ie du Rocher was either flooded or threatened by floods in 1943, 1944, 1946, and 1947. Construction of an extensive levee system was started in 1949. Since 1949, there has been no great threat of floods and many of the inhabitants remain skeptical of the ability of the levees to restrain the flood waters, if the occasion arises.
In 1948, Doctor Couch left Prairie du Rocher, and the residents have searched in vain for a resident doctor since then.
The old Creole house, was built about 1800. It is located directly across the street from the present day post office. An iron fence extending from the old Brickey house re- mains in front of the property. The Creole house was drawn and photographed by W.P.A. architects for historical reference. According to Thomas J. Conner, who was a local mer-
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chant and historian for many years until his recent death, the Creole house was the birth- place of Henry Clay Hansbrough, who later was elected as a senator from North Dakota, and served his state in the U.S. Senate for 18 years.
The old Kaskaskia Trail Hotel is now demolished. Until very recently, it was the home of Mr. Al Siedle. This house served as a stagecoach stop on the trail between Cahokia and Kaskaskia. This house was also believed to have been constructed in the early 1800's. The old slave quarters and an outside brick oven was torn down when Mr. Siedle produced the house in 1938.
In 1956, Father Theodore C. Siekman was appointed pastor of St. Joseph's Church. He became very interested in the history of Prairie du Rocher and the church which serves it. The Illinois Historical Society visited the village in 1959. The society was welcomed by Mayor William M. Shea and then was treated to a dinner in the school basement. Father Siekman spoke to the society and explained some of the uniqueness of Prairie du Rocher. Painstaking arrangements were made in 1965 under the direction of Father Siekman for a Bi-Centennial Celebration of the parish to be held on May 25, 1965. He established the beginning of the parish as 1765 -- co-inciding with the abandonment of the old chapel of St. Anne within Fort Chartres. On May 25, 1965, a Solemn Pontifical Mass was celebrated at St. Joseph's Church, with the Bishop of the Diocese, the Most Reverend Albert R. Zuroweste, D.D., in attendance. Some of the old vessels and chalices, which had been brought from the chapel of St. Anne in 1765, were used in the Mass. The Mass was at- tended by the villagers dressed in Indian garbs, or in the old costumes of their ancestors. After the Mass, a candlelight proces sion was made to the old cemetery, which was the site of the original church and village of Prairie du Rocher. The procession included oxen, horses and buggies, the villagers and their friends. At the cemetery, the heritage of the site was recounted, and various old French songs were sung. A temporary museum had been set up in the school building, to which the inhabitants contributed the tools, let- ters, and momentos of their ancestors. The rich and varied history of Prairie du Rocher was revived on this day in an illuminating and wonderful manner.
JAMES DUNCAN MUDD AND FAMILY
The influential farmer, James Duncan Mudd of Prairie du Rocher, is a member of the oldest family of settlers in Randolph County. Indeed, his family has been in America since the very earliest days, having come over to Maryland in the time of Lord Baltimore. This band of stout-hearted Englishmen set out from their native shores in 1633 and sought religious freedom in the new world. They established the Church in North America and guaranteed religious liberty, where until then there had been only Puritan fanatici sm. The Mudd family were original settlers of this colony. After the Revolution, when the tide of westward emigration set in, Thomas Mudd and his wife Johanna Carrick Mudd, proceeded to Kentucky, where they were among the earliest settlers. They settled in Spencer Coun- ty. This Thomas Mudd had seven sons and two daughters, the third son being Francis. Francis Mudd was born in 1795 in Maryland, emigrated to Kentucky with his parents, and there grew to manhood, with such slight educational advantages as the wilderness afford- ed. In the War of 1812 he volunteered, and served throughout the war. He was with Jackson at New Orleans when that great general with his regiments of stalwart pioneers won one of the most brilliant victories that we ever achieved over the British. On his return he was married in 1819 to Louisa Gough, and three years later emigrated to Randolph Coun- ty. Thus the family had been among the very first settlers of three states, Maryland, Ken- tucky and Illinois. Francis Mudd claimed a farm in Section 29, Township 5, Range 8, and lived here the peaceful and busy life of the pioneer farmer until his death in 1863. He has six sons and six daughters.
One of these sons was James T. Mudd, the father of J. Duncan Mudd. He was born on
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November 12, 1820, and was brought as a child to Randolph County. He was reared in his father's log house, a building without any glass in its construction, but as a good home as any pioneer could boast. He attended a subscription school, that being the only kind in the settlement. He lived with his parents until he was employed in "breaking the prair- ie" near the present site of Kidd, Monroe County. In the spring of 1844 he traveled on horseback to the lead mines in Wisconsin. His fortunes as a prospector were various, but he finally returned to Randolph County no richer than he had left it, excepting for the ex- perience, which must have been sufficiently valuable in itself. If he had done nothing else, he had proved that the adventurous spirit of the Mudd family was not dead in its latest representative.
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