Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IX.djvu/189

 ILLINOIS 181 four or five months. Then they would gather in a large town, of arbor-like cabins covered with double water-proof mats, with generally four fires to a cabin, and two families to a fire. Allouez, Membre, and other missionaries found the chief Illinois town consisting of 300 to 400 cabins and 8,000 people. They were badly defeated by the Iroquois in 1679, shortly after La Salle reached there, and in the war lost 300 or 400 killed and 900 prisoners ; but they re- covered and aided the French in their opera- tions against the Iroquois, sending their con- tingent to the expeditions of De la Barre and Denonville. Although constantly at war and greatly addicted to vices, they listened to the French missionaries Marquette, Allouez, Gra- vier, and others, who finally converted them all, and greatly improved their condition. In 1700 Chicago, their great chief, visited France, and was highly esteemed. His son of the same name retained the great influence of his father till his death in 1754. In 1700 the Kaskaskias removed from the upper waters of the Illinois to the spot that bears their name, led by their chief Roinsac, who wished to emi- grate to Louisiana. In 1712 they marched to Detroit to relieve that post, then besieged by the Foxes. In the war with that tribe they suffered severely, and the Illinois of the Rock and of Pimiteouy were driven from their vil- lages. In 1719 the whole nation was reduced to 3,000 souls. They remained faithful to the French in the Natchez troubles, and sent a force on D'Artaguette's fatal expedition against the Chickasaws. Although they lost constant- ly in their war with the Foxes, their head chief Papape Changouhias led a force with Villiers against some of the frontier posts in Virginia in April, 1756, and captured a small fort. They took no part in Pontiac's war ; hut when that chieftain was killed in one of their towns, the Foxes renewed the war. They joined the Miamis in their war against the United States, hut made peace at Greenville, Aug. 3, 1795. By act of March 3, 1791, 350 acres were se- cured to the Kaskaskias, and the right of loca- ting 1,280 acres in addition. Gen. Harrison in 1803 negotiated a treaty at Vincennes, in which their decline was recited, an annuity of $1,000 given, and provision made for building a house for the chief and a Catholic church, as well as for the maintenance of a priest. The Peorias, who were not parties to this treaty, joined in that of Edwardsville, Sept. 25, 1818, by which the Illinois ceded all their lands in the state for $2,000 in goods and a 12 years' annuity of $300. The Peorias, to the number of 100, were on Blackwater river, Missouri, and 36 Kaskaskias remained in Illinois. By the treaty of October, 1832, they again ceded lands, re- ceiving a large tract further west, with some cash and an outlay for erecting dwellings and supplying agricultural implements. They were placed within the limits of the present state of Kansas, where they remained till 1867. They seemed to improve, but lost in numbers, so that in 1854 they confederated with the Weas and Piankeshaws. In 1867 they were again removed, and placed southwest of the Qua- paws, on a reservation of 72,000 acres. Here they remain, but the whole Illinois nation had dwindled in 1872 to some 40 souls; the com- bined tribe of Weas, Piankeshaws, Peorias, and Kaskaskias numbering only 160 in all. The United States government in 1873 held stocks for their benefit amounting to $124,747 94, and a balance at interest of $64,164 69. The lan- guage of the Illinois was reduced to grammati- cal rules by Pere Gravier, and Pere le Boulanger drew up a very full grammar and dictionary. ILLINOIS, one of the interior states of the American Union, the eighth admitted under the federal constitution, and now the fourth in population. It is situated between lat. 36 59' and 42 30' N., and Ion. 87 35' and 91 40' W. ; extreme length N. and S. 385 m., extreme breadth E. and W. 218 m. ; area, 55,410 sq. m. It is hounded N. by Wisconsin, N. E. by Lake State Seal of Illinois. Michigan, E. by Indiana, from which it is sepa- rated in part by the Wabash river, S. E. and S. by Kentucky, from which it is separated oy the Ohio, and S. W. and W. by Missouri and Iowa, from which it is separated by the Mississippi. The state is divided into 102 counties, viz. : Ad- ams, Alexander, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Coles, Cook, Crawford, Cumberland, De Kalh, De Witt, Douglas, Du Page, Edgar, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Gallatin, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, Lake, La Salle, Lawrence, Lee, Living- stone, Logan, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Macon, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Mason, Massac, Menard, Mercer, Monroe, Mont- gomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Pope, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Richland, Rock Island, St. Clair, Saline, Sanga- mon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephen- son, Tazewell, Union, Vermilion, Wabash, War-