Grand Village of the Illinois

The Grand Village of the Illinois is an archaeological site on the north bank of the Illinois River containing the remains of structures, tools, and earthworks from multiple periods. Excavations near present-day Utica have uncovered layers of settlement from different eras, revealing how people organized and built their community over time.

French explorers documented this location in 1673 as a major Kaskaskia settlement with hundreds of dwellings and thousands of inhabitants. Later occupation is evident through multiple cultural layers preserved at the site, representing distinct phases of habitation across centuries.

Pottery styles, bone tools, and shells found here show how different groups traded and connected with each other. These objects reveal the relationships between the people who lived here and communities across a wider region.

The site is located near present-day Utica, Illinois, with Starved Rock visible on the opposite bank as a landmark reference. Visitors should be prepared for overgrown terrain and expect to walk across the grounds to fully explore the area.

A historian's excavations in the 1940s revealed multiple overlapping cultural layers with distinct names, showing the site was resettled repeatedly over time. This discovery changed how archaeologists understood the occupation patterns and the long continuous use of this location.

Location: LaSalle County

GPS coordinates: 41.32139,-88.96778

Latest update: December 8, 2025 19:51