Fort Massac is located at Metropolis, Illinois, and is the first state park in Illinois.
This site was used originally by the French over 250 years ago. At that time it was known as Fort de l'Ascension. It was renamed Fort Massiac in honor of Marquis de Massiac the French Secretary of the Marine.
George Rogers Clark landed his soldiers at this site in 1778, and began his overland march to capture Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Fort Sackville at Vincennes.
Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery stopped here in November 1803 on their way West. They recruited men from this post, one being George Drouillard, who became very instrumental to the success of the mission.
The fort was destroyed by the great New Madrid Earthquake of 1811-1812.
Fort Massac was occupied off and on up through the Civil War, when it was used as a training camp for Union soldiers.
More information can be found at http://www.southernmostillinoishistory.net
