Early Inhabitants of Southern Illinois

---

History is personal. It becomes important when you live it or re-live it. Standing on the deck of a sailing ship, or looking over the field where a great battle raged many years ago, allows you to "feel" history. Viewing or touching relics from the past makes history even more personal. Pictured below is a butter press, tobacco cutter, and applehead dolls, all precious possessions in a pioneer home. These artifacts were found at the University Museum at Southern Illinois University.

The inhabitants of Southern Illinois have been varied. Southwestern Illinois, particularly St. Clair County, is known worldwide as the home of the ancient river people in the great village called "Cahokia." Southern Illinois was home for a time to people of the "Illiniwek" and the "Shawnee." Later, this area was known by the French explorers Joliet and Marquette, settled by pioneers that floated down the Ohio River or came overland from Western Kentucky, and populated by German immigrants that came to till the prairies.

Regardless of when people settled in Illinois, they have contributed to the diverse mix who have shared this land. To explore some of the history of the early inhabitants of Southern Illinois, select from the following:

The Ancient People of "Cahokia" The "Illiniwek" and the "Shawnee" The Early Settlements and Forts of Southern Illinois Ste. Genevieve, Missouri Pierre Menard Mansion, near Chester, Illinois