Historic Prairie du Rocher will host a celebration 300 years in the making this weekend.

In announcing preparations for a “big bi-centennial celebration of the founding of Prairie du Rocher” in 1922, the Chester Herald-Tribune described the village as “the oldest town in the county since Kaskaskia washed into the river.”

The county referenced in the article is Randolph, in which the entire village limits rest. Part of rural Prairie du Rocher, including the Lake Mildred area, is in the boundaries of Monroe County.   

Even 100 years later, Prairie du Rocher remains a place with not only one of the oldest foundings in either county, but also throughout the state and the country. 

The village – which predates the founding of the United States by 50 years and the State of Illinois by nearly a century – will have the largest of a series of celebrations to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the founding of Prairie du Rocher throughout the village this Saturday and Sunday.

“Very few communities in the United States as a whole have reached the age of 300 continuous years, regardless of their size,” the Community Foundation of Prairie du Rocher recently wrote in an article for Illinois South Magazine. 

“This fact emphasizes that this milestone is quite an accomplishment for a tiny little French village, and a fact that makes this unique little place extremely important in its historical significance.”

The village’s founding in 1722 was a result of its proximity to nearby Fort de Chartres, a French colonial outpost created in 1718 to protect trading interests along the Mississippi River.

The official French connection lasted until 1933 when the Associated Press reported Illinois legislation was passed that allowed sale of tracts in a 6,000-acre area of land near the Mississippi River known as the Prairie du Rocher Commons.

The land had been granted to French villagers by King Louis XIV before his death in 1715 with the intention that it remain with the residents in perpetuity, thereby providing free access to the land from the river. 

The dissolution of the king’s commons, according to the AP article, nullified the last remaining grant of land to an Illinois community “upon the ancient feudal principle.”

The French history is still a staple in the village even if there is no longer an official affiliation in existence. In addition to the French reenactments during the annual Rendezvous celebrations at Fort de Chartres, the village also celebrates with Twelfth Night, La Fete de Noel and La Guiannee events each winter and hosts its own Mardi Gras celebration. 

Although much of its historical heritage is still intact, change is unavoidable over the course of three centuries. One recent change still looms large for the village’s future.   

The village’s significance was the topic of conversation in 2020 as new Federal Emergency Management Agency flood maps put most of Prairie du Rocher in a “special flood hazard area” as a result of nearby levees losing accreditation.

An effort to designate the area as a national park commenced shortly thereafter in an attempt to obtain federal funds to repair the levee systems and keep the village from losing residents and businesses.

As with many other government programs, COVID-19 had delayed any action in the push for national park status, but those who want to maintain Prairie du Rocher and its legacy continue to advocate for preservation.

This weekend, though, Prairie du Rocher will live in the present as it celebrates its past.

The festivities begin at 1 p.m. Saturday around the village, with music at the Historic Brickey House Lot along Market Street. In addition to food, drink, vendors and crafts, the celebration will also include historic demonstrations both days. A schedule flyer with more information will be available on-site with specific times and activities.

St. Louis radio station KSHE 95 will be on hand Saturday night for headlining musical act Head East, a band with Southern Illinois roots – their first performance was in Carbondale.

It is ironic that a band with that name would play at the anniversary celebration of the village that was one of the westernmost settlements during the colonial era and beginnings of the United States as a country.

There will be music and other village-wide activities throughout the day Sunday, as well. A closing ceremony and dedication of a time capsule will follow at 7 p.m.  

Those wishing to stick around after the closing ceremony will be able to see the reenactment of another piece of PdR lore: The Phantom Funeral.

Local legend says that in July 1889, two women witnessed a silent procession of about 40 wagons, 13 groups of soldiers and a casket which faded into darkness as it headed toward a small cemetery just outside of the village, never making its return.   

The validity of the tale as well as the likely candidates for members of the “Phantom Funeral” are up for debate, but it is just one of the aspects of the historic village that give it – using the French expression – a certain je ne sais quoi.

Besides, not many village residents can claim relics being bought for preservation by the Chicago Historical Society – in 1896.     

For more information about the 300th anniversary celebration and other upcoming events, visit pdr300.com.