March 1975
I grew up boating with family on the Illinois River and riding past Starved Rock State Park. When I got old enough to drive I used to take friends to this mysterious place. Captivated by the sandstone bluffs and canyons I hiked them in all seasons. I felt something compellingly spiritual and sacred about this place. I called this place home hundreds of years ago.
The name comes from a Native American story of a band of Illiniwek people starved on a 125 foot (38 meter) butte because of a siege by bands of Ottawa and Potawatomi during the 1760s.
I grew up boating with family on the Illinois River and riding past Starved Rock State Park. When I got old enough to drive I used to take friends to this mysterious place. Captivated by the sandstone bluffs and canyons I hiked them in all seasons. I felt something compellingly spiritual and sacred about this place. I called this place home hundreds of years ago.
The name comes from a Native American story of a band of Illiniwek people starved on a 125 foot (38 meter) butte because of a siege by bands of Ottawa and Potawatomi during the 1760s.
My memories evoke clearer images than these scanned from the 1970s.
I should've known you'd know where the name comes from. It looks lovely.
What an amazing place, it's sad how it got it's name though.
This looks like an interesting place, and a great place for memories.
A really interesting post, but sad. And, as you say, sacred. Thank you for the history…
Nice post with the history of this place.
Thanks for sharing this week (once I remembered to post the Mr. Linky!!)
Maybe you were one of the folks who starved there. It is a very pretty place.
Amazing story – so sad too – and great photos!
Fantastic photograohs and story Gaelyn. WOW!! I have never seen a river freeze up like that. Quite spectacular.
Gaelyn, I have a couple of places where I have spent other lifetimes.
I would love to take you to our Flinders Ranges in our drylands with gorges and incredibly old rockformations where I actually had a flashback to dieing as a kangaroo.
It's amazing with the places that freeze in time. It's like the desert; they don't change.
I have been so busy scanning old slides, I haven't had time to read blogs. Just catching up on your recent posts. I now have material for Remember Whensday.
Isn't that something; I've really been enjoying your old photos.
I guess it's no wonder that you developed your Love for nature when you have seen sights like this as a child. Lovely!
It seems that man has always been at war for one reason or another…
Intriguing history of the name…
Gorgeous frozen waterfalls! I love seeing how falls freeze, but don't really like being out in the cold to view it myself! 😉
Gaelyn: The beauty of that area shows through in the old photos.
beautiful place with a sad past..Thanks for the trip..
What a fun place for a hike!