History of Peoria, Illinois

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The history of Peoria, Illinois, is a long, and sometimes hard story. The lands that eventually would become Peoria were first settled in 1680, when French explorers René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle and Henri de Tonti constructed Fort Crevecoeur. This fort would later burn to the ground, and in 1813 Fort Clark was built. When the County of Peoria was organized in 1825, Fort Clark was officially named Peoria.

1 Early History
2 17th century
3 18th Century
4 19th Century
5 20th century
6 21st century
7 See also
8 Notes
9 External References

[edit] Early History

What has become Peoria and environs bears many remnants of Native Americans. Artifacts and Native American burial mounds show that people lived in the area as far back as 10,000 BC.^[1]

[edit] 17th century

The French were the first to explore the area that would become Peoria in 1673. Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet explored the region, finding the Illini Indians who were part of the Algonquin Nation. Those tribes that were part of the Illinois Confederacy at that time were the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Cahokia, and Tamaroa.^[1] The French explorers Robert Cavalier Sieur de LaSalle and Henri de Tonti constructed the first fort on the east bank of the Illinois River, and named it Fort Crevecoeur in 1680. Eleven years later in 1691, another fort was built. (location was at present day Mary and Adam Streets) by de Tonti and his cousin, François Daupin de la Forêt. Called Fort St. Louis II, it is also known as Fort Pimiteoui).^[1]