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Old Kaskaskia Village
This once-thriving village in the Illinois River valley was home to the Kaskaskia tribe in the late 1600s.
Guide Sections
Use Old Kaskaskia Village's guide sections to understand how this stop fits into the larger park plan.
Old Kaskaskia Village Details
Difficulty
Low
Distance
N/A
Estimated time
N/A
Region
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This once-thriving village in the Illinois River valley was home to the Kaskaskia tribe in the late 1600s. Its popularity grew exponentially from just 74 households to over 460, thanks to French explorers who set up missionaries in the village. In 1680, encroaching Iroquois tribes forced the majority of residents to abandon their homes. The land is now controlled by the state and only a few archeological excavations have been made. Housing structures, burial grounds, and many artifacts have been discovered, although much more of this historical site has yet to be unearthed.