Old Tyme Christmas at Ft. Massac

Courtesy of  Illinois DNR, Ft. Massac Encampment 2011

Crossed over the Ohio River today for Christmas at Fort Massac State Park in Metropolis, IL. to observe reenactors  represent the French, Early American and Civil War traditions of Christmas and enjoy some live colonial music and hot chocolate. I was slightly disappointed that we were not able to tour the replicated fort but we will look forward to visiting next October for the two day encampment. The view from the Illinois side of the riverbanks is absolutely stunning.

The History of Fort Massac courtesy of the Illionis Department of Natural Resources.

The rich history of this site begins before recorded history, when native Americans undoubtedly took advantage of its strategic location overlooking the Ohio River. Legend has it that Europeans took this same advantage as early as 1540, when the Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto and his soldiers constructed a primitive fortification here to defend themselves from hostile native attack.

The French built Fort De L’Ascension on the site in 1757, during the French and Indian War, when France and Great Britain were fighting for ultimate control of central North America. Rebuilt in 1759-60, the structure was renamed Massiac in honor of the then French Minister of Colonial Affairs, and came under fire only once, when unsuccessfully attacked by a group of Cherokee.

Following the end of the French and Indian War in 1763, the French abandoned the fort and a band of Chickasaws burned it to the ground. When Captain Thomas Stirling, commander of the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment, arrived to take possession, all he found was a charred ruin.

The British anglicized the name to “Massac” but, despite the counsel of their military advisers, they neither rebuilt nor regarrisoned the fort. This oversight left them vulnerable and in 1778, during the Revolutionary War, Colonel George Rogers Clark led his “Long Knives” regiment into Illinois at Massac Creek and was able to capture Kaskaskia, 100 miles to the north, without firing a shot-thus taking the entire Illinois Territory for the State of Virginia and the fledgling United States.

In 1794, President George Washington ordered the fort rebuilt, and for the next 20 years it protected U.S. military and commercial interests in the Ohio Valley.

U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr and Gen. James Wilkinson, who allegedly drew up plans to personally conquer Mexico and the American southwest, met at Fort Massac during the summer of 1805. Edward Everett Hale later used the setting of Fort Massac and the Burr-Wilkinson plot as basis for his classic historical novel, “The Man Without a Country.”

Although ravaged by the New Madrid earthquake in 1811-12, the fort was again rebuilt in time to play a minor role in the War of 1812, only to be abandoned again in 1814. Local citizens dismantled the fort for timber, and by 1828 little remained of the original construction. In 1839 the city of Metropolis was platted about a mile west of the fort.

The site served briefly as a training camp during the early years of the Civil War, marking the last time U.S. troops were stationed at the site. The fort was abandoned after a measles epidemic in 1861-62 claimed the lives of a substantial number of soldiers of the Third Illinois Cavalry and the 131st Illinois Infantry, who were using the fort as an encampment.

In 1903, through the efforts of the Daughters of the American Revolution, 24 acres surrounding the site were purchased by the state and on Nov. 5, 1908, it was officially dedicated as Illinois’ first state park.

Archeological and historical excavations were conducted on the site from 1939-42 and attempted again in 1966 , 1970, and during 2002. In the early 1970's a replica of an American fort at Fort Massac was reconstructed off the original site of the forts. The replica was based on the 1794 American Fort. This reconstruction was brought down in the fall of 2002, to rebuild another replica of a 1802 American fort. The original site, where all the forts were built has the archeological outline of the 1757 French Fort.

Christmas Carolers at Ft. Massac

A exploring alongside George Rogers Clark

Fort Massac

 

George Rogers Clark Monument

Beautiful view from the original foundation of Ft. Massac overlooking the Metropolis Bridge entering into state of Kentucky.

Patti's Festival of Lights

Taking advantage of the warm weather, the C family visited Patti's Festival of Lights in Grand Rivers, KY.    

Original article from Patti's Settlement

Festival of Light

Patti's 1880's Settlement? But, it’s always been Patti's 1880's Restaurant! Well it was... It still is. Only today there's so much more. In 1975, Bill, Patti and the kids stopped in Grand Rivers. We fell in love with the Land Between the Lakes area, and the dream of having a special place took hold. 
The original Hamburger Patti's was a block building that was part of a 6-unit motel. It quickly outgrew its walls. With the Tullar family working together, motel units gradually gave way to become dining rooms. The upstairs room and uni-sex lavatory (with my treasured cast-iron, footed bathtub and Indian Joe) was the Tullars’ personal living room and bath. Patti's 1880's Restaurant was on its way.
Great food and great presentation at great prices is Patti’s claim to success but as Chip, (the oldest) always said, “There has to be more to create a truly memorable impression.”
Bill soon got tired of being called Mr. Patti, so the boys built him a restaurant of his own in 1990. Mr. Bill’s was designed for bus tours in mind, with entertainment. Bill’s had Honky Tonk piano players, and four saloon girls for the hostess and servers.
Bill’s had a down home menu that fit right in. But Patti’s continued to grow, and needed more room so Mr. Bill’s” lost out and became part of Patti’s 1880’s Restaurant. Today Mr. Bill’s has the same food, same servers. Everything is the same except the room size.
Our two restaurants serve over 350,000 people in our little town of 350 people. They come from all over for our great food, beautiful gardens and Patti’s great Southern hospitality. With our log cabin gift shops, animal park for viewing, streams, fountains, Arielle’s miniature golf, rock climbing wall and remote controlled boats we needed a meaningful name that would describe it all.

 November 11th is the Beginning of Patti's Festival of Lights. Patti's Settlement Festival of Lights will run through the First week of January. Outside Hundreds of Thousands of Christmas Lights glow and twinkle and Put on a Show for all to Enjoy. While Inside the Restaurants and Gift Stores there are hundreds of trees and garlands loaded with ornaments and lights too!

 Enjoy our photos!
 

 

Fall Frolic

Jennifer woke up to the usual sound of Harrison’s morning giggles, the chorus of raspberries and babble warmed her heart. Crusty eyed from new overnight contacts and groggy she stumbled over to the one toothed wonder, picked up the twenty five pounds of warm squishy cheeked infant, and made way towards the large window in the center of the house to spy on the herd of deer that usually graze in the yard each morning.  She looked out, blinked, but couldn’t seem to shake the morning blur of her contacts, after repeating the process a few times it dawned on her that the front lawn was covered with a blanket of fog.  Opening the door to get a better look a silhouette of a deer came into view just beyond the mailbox.

“It is not the clear-sighted who rule the world. Great achievements are accomplished in a blessed, warm fog.” – Joseph Conrad

 

Remembering that she had prepped cinnamon rolls the night before she began to droll in anticipation and popped the sinful beasts into the oven

 

The kitchen began to fill with the smell of Christmas as Bryan and A made their way out of bed for breakfast. Mama chanted, "Warm, butter gooey, goodness and ugly thighs for all!"

The C family took their sweet (cinnamon roll) time getting ready that morning and slowly made their way over to LBL to enjoy the colorful Fall leaves.

 " A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty."

 

"All things must come to the soul from its roots, from where it is planted".- Saint Teresa of Avila

 "Smile More"

 " The stone should be mostly flat, about the size of the palm of your hand and about the weight of a tennis ball. Triangular stones tend to skip best. Avoid circular stones. They’re less stable." -A Boy's Life Magazine

 Throw out and down at the same time. A skipping stone is bouncing off the water, so give it plenty of downward force. Try throwing faster instead of harder — strength is not the key, quickness is. -A Boy's Life Magazine

"..or just make a BIG splash"-Jennifer C.

  Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books. -John Lubbock

 C. Brothers A and H watching the waves

 Bull Elk resting in the distance

 American Beautyberry