Iliniwek Village State Historic Site

The Iliniwek Village State Historic Site is a state-owned property in Clark County, Missouri, maintained by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, preserving the only known Illinois Indian village discovered in Missouri.[3]

Iliniwek Village State Historic Site
Map showing the location of Iliniwek Village State Historic Site
Map showing the location of Iliniwek Village State Historic Site
Map showing the location of Iliniwek Village State Historic Site
Map showing the location of Iliniwek Village State Historic Site
LocationClark Country, Missouri, United States
Coordinates40°25′51″N 91°33′17″W
Area127.49 acres (51.59 ha)[1]
Established1992[2]
Governing bodyMissouri Department of Natural Resources
WebsiteIliniwek Village State Historic Site

History

Acquired by the state of Missouri in 1992, the 127-acre historic site has proved to be an important archaeological discovery due to its size and quality of preservation.[3] It is considered the largest and best preserved of any Illinois Indian village. The village was occupied from approximately 1640 to 1683. During that time the village contained at least three hundred (300) lodges with an estimated population in excess of eight thousand (8,000) tribe members. Archaeological digs in the 1990s discovered numerous house foundations, storage pits and evidence of a palisade fortification. The remains of at least one tribal member were also recovered at the site, in 1998.[4] Among smaller items found was evidence of contact with early European explorers and traders, including glass beads, metal objects, and Jesuit trade rings.[3] The Illinois Indian tribe were the first Native Americans encountered in present-day Missouri by Louis Joliet and Father Jacques Marquette, who visited the village in 1673.

Site details

The site is located on a high sand terrace above the Des Moines River floodplain off Clark County Road 188 two miles south-southeast of St. Francisville, Missouri.[5][6][7] A walking trail of one and a quarter miles has interpretive signage, the remains of a typical Illinois Tribe–style long house, an oxbow lake, and an example of an Illinois round house.[8] Limited picknicking and restroom facilities are available. The site is open year-round from sunrise to sunset, with a gate blocking vehicle traffic from November through March.[3]

References
  1. "Iliniwek Village State Historic Site: Data Sheet" (PDF). Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  2. "State Park Land Acquisition Summary". Missouri State Parks. Retrieved October 30, 2015.
  3. "Iliniwek Village State Historic Site". Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  4. "Notice of Inventory Completion: Missouri Department of Natural Resources" (PDF). Federal Register. February 22, 2005. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  5. "Clark County Road Map" (PDF). Clark County, Missouri. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  6. "Iliniwek Village State Historic Site: Oxbow Trail" (PDF). Missouri State Parks. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  7. "Iliniwek Village State Historic Site". Great River Road. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  8. "Iliniwek Village State Historic Site: Trails". Missouri State Parks. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
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