As a presidential election is at hand, near St. Louis you can visit the Liberty Bell of the West, which is older than the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, in Kaskaskia, the oldest town in Illinois.
Kaskaskia had been the center of French colonial administration for the Middle Mississippi River Valley during the 18th Century and has much history to explore.
Now, about that bell…
Creating the Liberty Bell of the West
The 650-pound bell was a gift to The Mission of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and town’s citizens from King Louis XV of France. It was cast in La Rochelle, France in 1741 and inscribed with the words: POUR LEGLISE DES ILLINOIS PAR LES SOINS DU ROI D’OUTRE L’EAU (For the Church of Illinois, by a gift of the King across the water).
On one side of the bell are the royal lilies of France and the other side features a cross and a pedestal with the fleur de lis.
How the Bell Came to America
The bell was shipped from France to New Orleans and then pulled up the Mississippi River by ropes on a bateau, a flat bottomed boat, arriving in 1743.
On July 4, 1778, during the American Revolution, the bell was rung to celebrate the liberation of Kaskaskia from the British by the American forces of George Rogers Clark and his Long Knives.
Where it is Now
The bell is currently housed in a brick building built by the State of Illinois in 1948.
At one time visitors could enter the shrine and touch the bell and hear its soft peal but now it can only be viewed by looking through a barred doorway. A brief audio program gives visitors a history of the bell.
This bell has survived through nature’s fury.
Flooding Cracks the Bell
During the flood of 1973, the bell was washed from its stand, widening a hairline crack that had been discovered in 1948. In spite of the crack, the bell continued to be rung every 4th of July.
The bell was washed from the stand a second time during the flood of 1993, widening the crack to a dangerous width and now can no longer be rung for fear of further damage, though Independence Day ceremonies are still conducted at the site.
Behind the bell is a wall mural depicting the village of Kaskaskia as it was during colonial times.
Immaculate Conception Church
Nearby the bell is the Immaculate Conception Church. A French Jesuit Missionary Pere Marquette started the congregation of this church in 1675.
The mission built a series of churches since then and the current brick church was built in 1843. In 1894 the church was moved and rebuilt brick-by-brick in its present location with the bell spire built over the side entrance.
Unique Artifacts
The interior of the church has many unique and historic features and artifacts. The altar dates back to the early mission days of the parish and was built around 1736. Hand-carved out of native black walnut and cottonwood, it was built with wooden pegs rather than the more expensive nails.
The crown over the altar is made of a single tree trunk. The bottom section of the altar was restored after the 1881 flood with the material of the time and was reinforced in 1999.
A brass sanctuary lamp hangs by the altar and dates along with the altar to the mission times of the church.
The pulpit was built in 1860 out of walnut and restored after the flood of 1993.
Alter Stone
The altar stone is embedded with a relic of a martyr of early Christian times. Local tradition says that Father Marquette himself brought this stone to Kaskaskia. The stone was carried to the New World by a sailing ship from France and then to Kaskaskia by canoe.
On the church, walls are 14 lithographs of the Stations of the Cross. It is believed they were painted in Germany and date back to the 1800s.
Historic Oil Painting
The Immaculata is an oil painting brought to the Mission Church in the early 1700s by the Jesuits and hangs as a symbol of the name of the parish. In 1750 the Jesuits, after a hasty retreat from the British, placed the painting in a place of safety where it became almost forgotten until its return in 1980.
Ghost Town of Kaskaskia
Kaskaskia was founded by the French in 1703. Its population peaked with about 7,000 people in the 18th century. It was eventually ruled by the British until the American Revolutionary War.
Power Broker
It was the county seat of Illinois County, Virginia, then becoming part of the Northwest Territory.
Then became the capital of the Illinois Territory in 1809. It was briefly the capital of the state of Illinois in 1818 before the capital was moved to Vandalia, Ill., a more central location in the state.
Flooding of the 1800s
The original townsite on the Kaskaskia River faced repeated floods and the Mississippi River kept moving towards the Kaskaskia River. Each flood destroyed buildings and homes of the town.
The Flood of 1881
This powerful flood destroyed most of the town when the Mississippi River shifted eastward to a new channel taking over the lower ten miles of the Kaskaskia River.
Even though the river moved the state boundary was kept in the same location.
Kaskaskia Town Moves
Kaskaskia moved to the west of the Mississippi River. It is now an exclave of Illinois and the town can only be reached by a bridge across the old channel from Missouri near the town of St. Mary.
Repeated Floods
The town faces repeated flooding. Up until the 1973 flood the town had about 200 people and stores. After this flood, more people moved and it is now a town of about 15 people and the second smallest town in Illinois after Valley City on the Illinois River.
Our Time Here
We visited the town to see the Liberty Bell of the West.
To the See the Bell
Near the church is the brick building that houses the bell. You push a green button to open the doors to see the bell between the bars. Then above this is a white doorbell to hear the message about the bell.
I wish we could go inside and gain a closer view of the bell and the murals, but I understand that it is safer to keep it this way.
My son Andrew pushed the button and the doors opened and then another button was pushed to start the audio program. After the audio plays the doors close once more. Andrew pressed it again since he said he didn’t hear it all. Once more everything started up again before closing. It sort of adds to the strangest of this place.
The Town
We didn’t go inside the church but walked around this historic structure. Down from these buildings is the schoolhouse for the church. I am not sure if it was still used but still an interesting two-story brick building. Behind it, you can see the many picnic tables used for the Fourth of July celebrations they have here.
Island Drive
The drive on the exclave island is worth it since you drive by the old channel. Here I saw blue herons and white egrets down in the swamp by the old channel. The island is filled with corn and bean crops.
On the way off of the island, David said to Andrew, “Now we need to go to Philadelphia to the Liberty Bell of the East.”
DETAILS
The Drive: Take Interstate 55 to exit 150 for MO-32 that leads through Ste. Genevieve. Then in Ste. Genevieve take a right onto US 61 then turn left onto State Highway U in St. Mary, Mo., which becomes Illinois County Road 15 then turn left onto S. Kings Hwy/County Road 15. Next, another left onto Grand Ave./La Grande Rue then turn left onto Illinois St. and lastly turn right at the first cross street onto First Street to the Kaskaskia Bell State Historic site. The church is right next door.
Bell Hours: 9 am – 4 pm daily
Church Hours: Check the Church’s Facebook page for contact information about visiting it.
Admission: Free
Address for the Liberty Bell of the West and Church: 302 1st St, Chester, IL 62233.
More St. Louis Area Historic Mississippi River Sites
Nearby St. Genevieve
St. Genevieve, Mo., is the oldest town in the state of Missouri settled in 1735 by French Canadian colonists. A number of historic sites can be found here including The Centre for French Colonial Life and the Bolduc House Museum, Felix Valle House State Historic Site and for more information visit the Ste. Genevieve Welcome Center. A Mississippi River ferry is located just north of the town and can take you across the river to Illinois.
Cahokia Courthouse
The Old Cahokia Courthouse in Cahokia, Il., is located north along Illinois State Highway 3. It was originally built as a French dwelling around 1740. Lewis and Clark used the courthouse as a headquarters. The visitor’s center is currently closed due to Covid-19.
Address: 107 Elm St, Cahokia, IL 62206
Autumn Drive To Church Ruins
Drive-by haunting church ruins, have a German-style meal in Bavarian decor, and seeing a rainbow of autumn colors are highlights of our backwoods adventure.
Each year we take a drive in the MetroEast going south along the Bluff Road towards Valmeyer, Illinois. Here you drive along the valley with the bluffs to your right with the golds, reds, and yellows of the trees changing on the hills above you.
Halloween Hikes: Fort Belle Fontaine
Grounds of a former 19th century U.S. Military instillation and ruins of a popular summer retreat in the 1930s can be explored at Fort Belle Fontaine County Park in North St. Louis County.
