Palestine, Illinois

Palestine, Illinois. . This area reminded Frenchman John LaMotte of the land of milk and honey, Palestine. While a member of the LaSalle exploring party, he became separated from the group, traveled down the Wabash River, and first gazed upon the region in 1678. Other French settlers came during the 18th Century. Then, by 1812, the Westward moving Americans began constructing Fort LaMotte. As the palisade filled with settlers, those desiring more room moved a few miles to the Northwest and established Fort Foot., The settlers in Fort LaMotte were the core of the Town of Palestine. Platted in 1818 by Joseph Kitchell and Edward Cullom, the settlement served until 1843 as the Crawford County Seat. The growth of the Town lagged until a United States Land Office, opened in 1821, gave new importance to the community. Then, people came to buy land, to attend court, for entertainment, and to have their grain milled. Others, like Abraham Lincoln in 1830, passed through the bustling Town on their way to settle in Illinois., The Land Office continued to give prominence to Palestine. Robert A. Kinzie came in 1831 to purchase 102 acres for $127.68, an area which became the nucleus of Chicago. Augustus C. French (1808-1864) served as a receiver in the Land Office from 1839 to 1843. A native of New Hampshire, he was the first “Yankee” to be elected Governor of Illinois. Chosen in 1846, French was forced to stand for re-election under the New Constitution of 1848 and won.