Southwest Illinois
Explore region’s European heritage and Indian mounds

Although the passing of time often erases vestiges of the past, southwestern Illinois has defied the effects of the years by preserving its ancient Indian settlements, historic homes and European traditions.

That storied heritage spanning several centuries lives on today in towns such as Collinsville, Cahokia, Belleville and Okawville. Each town offers a look into the region’s history, from the days when Native American Indians roamed the land, to the coming of French explorers and missionaries and German farmers and miners, to an era when the region’s mineral water was thought to cure all ailments.

Native legacy, spiritual devotion

Start a day tour of the region in the cradle of Illinois’ beginnings, where nearly 20,000 Native American Indians thrived amid more than 120 mounds. The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, located in Collinsville, contains the remains of the most sophisticated Indian civilization north of Mexico.

To reach the site from St. Louis, take Interstate 55/70 east about six miles from the Mississippi River to Illinois Route 111 (Exit 6). Take Route 111 south to Collinsville Road and head east to the site. As you approach the interpretive center, huge mounds rise up from the level plain, signaling your arrival into a region first inhabited by Indians in about A.D. 700.

In fact, the 2,200-acre tract is so significant to the understanding of the prehistory of North America that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated it a World Heritage Site.

Turn right off Collinsville Road to the interpretive center, which presents the fascinating story of the Indian civilization through a variety of artifacts and exhibits, a 15-minute film and re-creations of archeological digs. The highlight of the center is a life-size diorama of Cahokia as it was 900 years ago, which gives you the impression of being in the village.

Visitors also can walk around several of the site’s remaining 68 mounds, which were constructed mainly for ceremonial activities. Monks Mound, the largest prehistoric earthen construction in the New World, covers 14 acres and rises more than 100 feet. The top of the mound, accessible by stairs built into the side of it, offers a great view of the region.

The interpretive center is open 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Wednesday–Sunday, and the grounds are open 8 a.m. to dusk. Donations are requested for admission. Call (618) 346-5160, or click on www.cahokiamounds.com.

For another impressive sight not far from the mounds, meander through the 200 acres of beautiful rolling hills of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows. From Cahokia Mounds, continue east on Collinsville road to reach Interstate 255 and head south. Exit at Illinois Route 15 east (exit 17A) and follow the signs to the shrine, which blends spirituality, unique architecture and imaginative landscaping to create a serene setting.

Visitors of every faith will enjoy the shrine, founded by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in 1958. Pick up a map of the complex at the visitors center, where you can enjoy lunch at the Shrine Restaurant. The Main Shrine is nestled in a gentle valley and can accommodate thousands of people for liturgies and events. And don’t miss the Lourdes Grotto, a beautiful replica of the famed Grotto in Lourdes, France. Other sights include the Resurrection and Annunciation gardens, the Way of the Cross and the Millennium Spire, an 85-foot sculpture atop a candle building with a capacity for 6,000 votive candles. A hotel is on the grounds, as well.

The shrine is perhaps most famous in the St. Louis area for its annual Way of Lights, with more than 1 million lights strung along a portion of the grounds from late November through early January.

The shrine is open daily from 6 a.m.–10 p.m. For more information, call (618) 397-6700 or 1-800-682-2879, or visit www.snows.org.

French and German influences

As you explore the region further, visitors will discover that much of southwestern Illinois’ history was influenced significantly by the French. Head south on Illinois Route 157 to Cahokia, which was founded in 1699 by three missionaries from Quebec. In the early 1700s, Cahokia was the most populous of the French colonial Mississippi Valley towns.

The French lost control of the region in the late 1700s, but reminders of their occupation are still visible in places like the Cahokia Courthouse State Historic Site, located just west of the junction of routes 157 and 3 on Second Street. An excellent example of early French log construction, the structure was built in about 1740 and was the territory’s center of political activity for 20 years. Today it houses artifacts that tell the story of early French settlers. Hours are 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Wednesday–Saturday. However, the site was closed because of budget cuts in late 2008. Lawmakers were working to restore funding, so call the site at (618) 332-1782 to find out if it’s open.

Not far from the courthouse is the Jarrot House, completed in 1810 and considered to be the oldest masonry house in Illinois. The building was where Cahokia’s first parochial school was organized. It is generally open only for special events. For details, call (618) 332-1782.

Next to the Jarrot House is the Church of the Holy Family, considered to be the oldest church between the Allegheny and Rocky mountains. The building’s foundation dates to 1699, and the church has been in continuous use under French, British and American rule since then. A mass in Latin is celebrated every Sunday at 9 a.m. Visitors can tour the church during the summer from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday–Saturday and 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday. For more details, call (618) 337-4548, or visit www.holyfamily1699.org.

Also settled by the French and later by German miners, nearby Belleville shares its Teutonic heritage through its architecture and festivals. Call Belleville Tourism at (618) 233-6769 or 1-800-677-WALK (9255) for details, or visit www.bellevillechamber.org.

Belleville’s historic district, which is more than 175 years old, contains more than 700 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. With 300 blocks of historic buildings, it is the largest historic district in the state. Take Highway 157 east from Cahokia to Highway 15 and head east. Turn left on Highway 159 (north) to get to Belleville’s historic district.

Dominating the district at the corner of South Third and Harrison streets is the Cathedral of St. Peter, the largest cathedral in Illinois. The beautiful English Gothic church dates to the mid-1800s and contains striking statuary, arches and lovely stained glass panels.

Another of the town’s historic structures is the stately Victorian Museum Home, built in 1866. The home’s 19th-century furnishings are complemented by changing displays of vintage artifacts. Hours are 10 a.m.–2 p.m. weekdays. For details, call the St. Clair County Historical Society at (618) 234-0600, or visit www.stcchs.org. And the nearby Emma Kunz Home Museum, considered to be the state’s earliest dated brick Greek Revival house, was built in 1830 and is a classic example of a German “street house.” The rooms are furnished to illustrate the hardships of early settlers. Tours are offered by appointment through the historical society.

Visitors also can enjoy the bounty of the seasons at area farms, including Eckert’s Country Store and Farms. At the farm, which is southeast of Belleville near the intersection of Highway 15 and Greenmount Road, you can buy harvested fruit and vegetables or pick your own strawberries, peaches, apples or pumpkins. Call (618) 233-0513, or visit www.eckerts.com.

Relaxing waters

More traces of German heritage can be found roughly 30 miles east of Belleville on Highway 158/177 in Okawville, where German immigrants settled in the mid-1800s. The town became a health spa in the late 1800s because its mineral water was thought to possess medicinal qualities.

While science has since debunked the notion that mineral water is a cure-all, visitors still head to Okawville’s Original Springs Hotel and Bath House to sample the relaxing baths and massages. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the facilities are nothing fancy but offer a unique getaway. For reservations, call (618) 243-5458.

In addition to the hotel and a number of specialty shops, three museums in town transport visitors to the late 1800s. The Heritage House Museum offers a glimpse of daily life of middle-class America at the turn of the century. The Dr. Poos Home, which is run by the Heritage House, dates to 1888 and features Victorian furnishings. A third property owned by Heritage House is the Schlosser Brick House, which was built in 1869 and is furnished primarily with post-Civil War era antiques. For hours and more details, call the Okawville Chamber of Commerce at (618) 243-5694.

Throughout the region, explore the past in historic towns and ancient settlements. What the pioneers left behind has been preserved for today’s explorers. For details, call the Tourism Bureau Southwestern Illinois at (618) 397-1488 or 1-800-442-1488, or visit www.thetourismbureau.org.

To return to the St. Louis area from Okawville, take Interstate 64 west about 42 miles. The approximate round-trip mileage is 97 miles.

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