There's no cell phone reception for almost anyone at Fort de Chartres, but that's okay with us. We are enjoying the full moon, quiet, and bright stars over the American Bottoms south of Columbia in Randolph County. This weekend is the 39th annual Rendezvous, an opportunity to recreate life in the 1750s (or 1780s, or 1820s) in what would some day be Illinois.Fort de Chartres is the last of three eighteenth-century forts by that name erected near the Mississippi River by France's colonial government. From 1720 to 1763, French administration of the Illinois area was centered at the forts, built successively over a 40-year period on or near the same site. The stone fort, built in the 1750s and abandoned in 1771, has been partially reconstructed to provide a glimpse of life under the French regime by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.
Rendezvous is a re-creation of the traditional French fur trapper’s holiday of the Eighteenth Century and is one of the oldest and largest events of its kind in the United States. Thanks to an invitation from our friends Jim & Carol Agne, we were able to enjoy buckskinners, militiamen, artisans, and entertainers as they celebrated how our forefathers lived life in the shadows of the great fortress known as Fort de Chartres.
This year was a particular joy since former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich had closed the fortress site in 2008--only to have new Governor Pat Quinn yield to the requests of thousands of Illinois citizens (and the dictates of common sense) and restore the historic site to operation. The weather was perfect this year--not too hot and not too cold--and we enjoyed our visit...maybe we will bring our grandkids next year...
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