Illinois, historical and statistical : comprising the essential facts of its planting and growth as a province, county, territory, and state ... . d as the county-seat of the county of St. Clair,which it remained until 1814. In 1800, its population wasabout 400, which in 1818 with 100 houses had increased to500. During this latter decade, the place was really prosper-ous and a large amount of business was transacted. It wasgreatly damaged by the flood of 1844, and thereafter graduallyfell into decay, its trade and some of its best citizens havingbeen attracted to St. Louis, and later to East S
Illinois, historical and statistical : comprising the essential facts of its planting and growth as a province, county, territory, and state ... . d as the county-seat of the county of St. Clair,which it remained until 1814. In 1800, its population wasabout 400, which in 1818 with 100 houses had increased to500. During this latter decade, the place was really prosper-ous and a large amount of business was transacted. It wasgreatly damaged by the flood of 1844, and thereafter graduallyfell into decay, its trade and some of its best citizens havingbeen attracted to St. Louis, and later to East St. Louis, so thatat this time it is a mere hamlet, rejoicing, however, in the recentrestoration of its post-office, of which it was deprived someyears ago. * Vide Chapter IV, page 85. 267 268 ILLINOIS—HISTORICAL AND STATISTICAL. Kaskaskia, the largest of these first villages, was situated onthe right bank of the Kaskaskia River, six miles north of itsjunction with the Mississippi and four miles east of that is at the southern extremity of the American Bottom, the bluffupon which Fort Gage was erected overlooking it from the A Plat of Kaskaskia, 1765.* It was Known as a thriving and populous village long beforethe founding of New Orleans, Pittsburg, or St. Louis. It ishalf a century older than Cincinnati, and had passed the merid-ian of its fame, and into the sere and yellow leaf of decadencebefore Chicago was even dreamed of. Old as the town reallyis, it must be admitted, however, that it is neither so old norwas it ever so large as some authorities have claimed. Theevidence is conclusive that there was no village known by thatname in that locality prior to 1700. The journals of Fathers and Gravier, and the nar- * Reduced from a plate in Philip Pittmans Present State of European Settle-ments on the Mississippi (London, 1770). Key: A, the fort; B, the Jesuits resi-dence; C, formerly commanding-officers house; D, the church. Used by permissionfrom
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