Official book of the Fort Armstrong centennial celebration, June 18th-24th, 1916 (1916) (14762374064)

Identifier: officialbookoffo01rock (find matches)
Title: Official book of the Fort Armstrong centennial celebration, June 18th-24th, 1916
Year: 1916 (1910s)
Authors: Rock Island County (Ill.) historical society. (from old catalog)
Subjects:
Publisher: Rock Island, Ill., E. O. Vaile, jr.
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress



Text Appearing Before Image:
ld have had a powerfulneighbor with whom to divide honors. Hand in hand religious zeal and commercial ambition leadthe French priests and explorers, by the way of the St.Lawrence and the Great Lakes, far into the interior of NorthAmerica when it was an unknown wilderness to the rest of theworld. In 1608, twelve years before the landing at PlymouthRock, Champlain planted the first French coiony at Quebec.In 1634 Jean Nicolet, the French explorer, reached Saulte Ste.Marie at the outlet of Lake Superior. Eventually Frenchpriests and explorers endeavored to connect Canada and Louisi-ana by means of a line of forts and missions. Marquette andJoliet, priest and explorer, opened the way in 1673. when theymade their memorable trip from Mackinac through Green Bayand the Fox River, over the portage, and down the WisconsinRiver to its mouth. They arrived at the Mississippi RiverJune 17th and must have passed the island of Rock Island ashort time after. This explorer and his companion priest con-
Text Appearing After Image:
Fort Armstrong, Davenport, Rock Island, and Moline. r( From a painting by J. C. Wild tinned to the mouth of the Arkansas River, and returning,passed up the Illinois River and entered Lake Michigan at thepresent site of Chicago. In 1681 the illustrious La Salle tracedthe Mississippi River to its mouth, and with him originated theidea of circumventing the colonies of England on the Atlanticshore with a band of French territory, which should enableFrance to possess the great river valleys of the interior and thebetter part of the continent. In this ambitious purpose theysought opportunity for missionary work and commercial ad-vantage rather than colonization. England entertained views similar to those of France as tothe destiny of the interior. The King of England decreed thatit should be the perpetual home of the natives and forbade hissubjects to encroach beyond the territory whose waters flowedinto the Atlantic. The colonists, however, looked with covetouseyes on the rich agricultural