Fort Massac Encampment in Southern Illinois - Bringing History to Life for the Modern World

Come to Fort Massac State Park in Metropolis, Illinois in October and you're likely to hear much chatter about a certain festival held each year with historical ties. The Fort Massac Encampment is held later in the month before Halloween around the 20th and 21st. Around the area, you will no doubt experience a time warp in which you may seem to wake up back in the early American Colonial period. Everything representative of that time is reenacted with genuine precision from the clothing down to the food. Children and adults alike contribute to the whole of the experience which makes it more authentic for anyone witnessing the activities.

The historical fort was was reconstructed and opened to the public in 2003 to show visitors a more correct rendition of what the 1802 American militia outpost reflected. Between 1757 and 1814 Fort Massac served the French, early Americans, and the British as a defense against hostile intercepts from enemies, to ensure protected supply routes to the other forts along the Ohio River, and keep communication lines open. With Captain Charles Phillipe Aubry in charge, the French built a fort and called it Fort Ascension. When it was fortified in 1759, they named it Fort Massiac after a marine. In 1765 the British overtook control when the French surrendered it under the treaty of 1763. They never occupied it as the fort was captured by George Rogers Clark, older brother of William Clark, when he and about 160 of the men he commanded arrived at the mouth of Massac Creek on June 28th, 1778. President George Washington gave General Anthony Wayne the assignment of rebuilding and fortifying the fort in 1794. By October 20th, 1794, Captain Thomas Doyle and his men had erected it and named the rebuilt version Massac. 1797 saw the fort as an important entry point for settlers traveling the Ohio River and entering into Illinois. Alexander Hamilton controlled Fort Massac in 1799, as American military had planned to place 1,000 men there in reaction to the threat of French attack. These plans however, were abandoned in order to build a fort in Grand Chain. It continued to change hands and in 1903 the Daughters of the American Revolution bought 24 acres surrounding the fort and named it Illinois first state park in 1908. the Fort Massac site is about 50 feet above water level and shows a very scenic view of the Ohio River.

Visitors to the park can come around 10 am on both days, when the festivities start for the Encampment celebration. You're likely to see tactical military demonstrations and reenactments of battles around 3 pm each day, and they then end with a retreat ceremony. The re-enactors number around 500 perform roles as explorers, soldiers, traders, and settlers wearing the dress of the 18th and 19th century on the grounds surrounding Fort Massac. One can experience period music played on the fife and drum corps. It truly is a family event, featuring something for everyone. Children may play games, listen to storytelling, and watch puppet shows all Colonial themed. Crafts of the period are shown such as weaving, blacksmithing, and candle-making. Participants can take home the items that they make here. One is guaranteed a unique experience when visiting southern Illinois during the Fort Massac Encampment. Although they won't know it, children in the family will also take with them a little history lesson.