Starved Rock

Earlier this week, we took a short retreat to Starved Rock and did some relaxing, hiking and eating. The waterfalls were not flowing this time of year, and we were late for the best fall colors, but we enjoyed our time there anyway. And rates are reduced this time of year! We were spending a gift certificate to the Lodge that we received for Christmas last year from Bob and Jenny. We thought we better use it before Christmas rolls around again. It was a sunny, crisp fall day, as we hiked the trails through the woods to overlooks, into canyons, and along the river. We hiked into St. Louis canyon, home of the famous Starved Rock murders. A little creepy since we were the only people in the canyon at the time.

The old farmer's wife is the grammar/spelling/punctuation Nazi in our household, and she tells me that Starved Rock is a misnomer. The rock is not and was not starved. Perhaps a better name would be Starvation Rock or Siege Rock. This of course refers to the legend that a band of Illiniwek Indians took refuge on top of the rock formation because bands of Potawatome and Ottawa Indians were seeking revenge for the killing of Chief Pontiac. The Illiniweks were unable to escape and ended up starving to death.

Something I didn't know was that in 1682 the French cleared the top of the rock formation and built a fort on it. It offered a strategic position above the last rapids on the Illinois river, and protection from small parties of marauding Indians. They named it Fort St. Louis, and it became a haven for traders and trappers. They later abandoned the fort and moved to Peoria and established Fort Pimitoui. By the early 1700's, the fort had disappeared.

And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:

Exodus 33:21