About 40 miles southeast of Saint Louis off Illinois Route 3 on the Mississippi River is the rebuilt Fort de Chartres - a reminder that American colonies numbered more than 13 of the English speaking variety. From 1720 to 1765 Fort de Chartres was the French military and governmental center for the vast Illinois Country. Several villages with colonists from New Orleans sprang up on the rich bottom land and limestone bluffs near the fort. Prairie du Rocher was established in 1722 4 miles away and is still there today. The first two forts named after Louis duc de Chartres were wood stockades. The stone fort's construction began in the early 1750s, but was not completed until 1760. The British took over the fort after the French and Indian War in 1765. The problem of the Mississippi River shifting east caused the British to abandon "Fort Cavendish" as they called it, and dismantle a portion in 1771. The riverfront wall collapsed after a flood in 1772. Local inhabitants finished the demolition over the next 100 years using the fort as a stone quarry until all that was left was the sturdily built powder magazine and foundations of the walls and buildings. In 1913 the State of Illinois bought up the ruins for a state park and restored the powder magazine by 1917. It is considered to be the oldest building in the state. (Bottom photo.) Rebuilding the rest of the fort would be more challenging since there were no surviving plans. After studying the foundations, letters from the soldiers in the French and British garrisons, and other period fortifications, the work began and in the 1920s and 30s the fort took shape again. Two buildings and the gatehouse (top left photo) were completed in the style found in French forts of the 18th Century. In 1989 the walls were partially rebuilt. (Top right photo.) Interestingly, some locals contributed limestone from the original fort that had been used for fences or structures on their property. The riverfront wall was not completed because a levee occupies the location. Fort de Chartres is more than worth a look if you are travelling in the Saint Louis area. http://www.ftdechartres.com/page/page/1396753.htm