Prairie du Rocher in Randolph County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
1867 - Abraham Lee from Prairie du Rocher Wins Lottery
Photographed By Thomas Smith, September 10, 2022
1. 1867 - Abraham Lee from Prairie du Rocher Wins Lottery Marker
In Chicago Mr. Uranus H. Crosby built an elaborate opera house, and ran out of money. He raffled off the property, and Abraham Lee of Prairie du Rocher was the winner. It took weeks for Mr. Lee to hear of his winnings and then another month to claim it. Having no need for an opera house, Lee sold his ticket back for $200,000, a very substantial amount in that day. Lee then built a three-story mansion on the property where this plaque stands.
Historical Relevance 1867 Yellow Fever kills 3000 in New Orleans. Alfred Nobel patents dynamite.
1871 Great Chicago Fire.
1872 Conner's Store built (current north half)
1873 Prairie du Rocher government reorganizes (incorp.).1878 Negro school opens in Prairie du Rocher.
1880 Church bell tower constructed.
The Lee Mansion With his winnings, Abraham Lee built a three-story Second Empire-style mansion with a mansard roof, ornate bracketed eaves, stained glass windows, and an enclosed front sun porch facing Market Street on this lot. The foundation remains are directly in front of you and the remaining building is the summer kitchen/wash house.
A. H. Lee made a good decision as the Opera House burned in the Chicago Fire.
Topics.
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Location. 38° 5.182′ N, 90° 5.88′ W. Marker is in Prairie du Rocher, Illinois, in Randolph County. Marker is on Market Street south of St. Louis Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 209 Market St, Prairie du Rocher IL 62277, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 1778 - Third Flag To Fly Over Prairie du Rocher (a few steps from this marker); 1743 - Common Ground Established in Prairie du Rocher (a few steps from this marker); 1818 - Changes in Government Local and State (within shouting distance of this marker); 1722 - Village of Prairie du Rocher is Formed (within shouting distance of this marker); 1763 - Treaty of Paris Affects Prairie du Rocher (within shouting distance of this marker); Palmier's Hall & Cafe (within shouting distance of this marker); 1951 - Archaeological Dig Unearth Archaic Artifacts (within shouting distance of this marker); 1889 - First Phantom Funeral Sighting Documented (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Prairie du Rocher.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 14, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 13, 2022, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. This page has been viewed 115 times since then and 12 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on September 13, 2022, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
