Starved Rock

Infobox_nrhp | name =Starved Rock
nrhp_type = nhl


caption =
nearest_city= Ottawa, Illinois
lat_degrees = 41
lat_minutes = 19
lat_seconds = 14
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 88
long_minutes = 59
long_seconds = 26
long_direction = W
locmapin = Illinois
area =approximately 25 acres
built =1685
architect=
architecture=
designated= October 9, 1960cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=214&ResourceType=Site
title=Starved Rock |accessdate=2008-06-11|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service]
added = October 15, 1966cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]
governing_body = State
refnum=66000325

Starved Rock is a historic place that was the site of explorer La Salle's Fort St. Louis, near Ottawa, Illinois. It is also known as 11-Ls-12 and as Site of Fort St. Louis-Le Rocher. It is a flattopped rock cliff over the Illinois River that is the central feature of the much larger Starved Rock State Park (25 acres vs. 2,630 acres). It was located across the river from the Grand Village of the Kaskaskia. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960.citation|title=PDFlink| [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Text/66000325.pdf National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Starved Rock (11-Ls-12) / Site of Fort St. Louis/Le Rocher] |32 KB|date=September 11, 1984 |author=Margaret Kimball Brown |publisher=National Park Service and PDFlink| [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Photos/66000325.pdf "Accompanying three photos, undated"] |32 KB]

Starved Rock itself is a large eroded butte overlooking the Illinois River. French explorers built a fort called Fort St. Louis atop the rock in 1682 but had abandoned it by the early 1700s.

The rock derives its name from a story that a band of Illiniwek was trapped in the 1760s on the rock by a band of Potawatomi trying to avenge the death of the Ottawa Chief Pontiac. The Illiniwek then scrambled to the top of the rock, where the Ottawa and allied Potawatomi laid siege until the Illiniwek starved to death. However, the authenticity of the story has never been verified, and the story is now considered to be more legend than truth.

It is located in what is now Starved Rock State Park, six miles (10 km) west of Ottawa off Illinois Route 71.

References

External links

* [http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.il0 __: __ photos, __drawings, __data pages and supplemental material] , at Historic American Building Survey