Quote: As we travelled toward our eventual goal of St. Louis, my wife and I encountered Fort Massac State Park, in Illinois. This was off of the first exit from Interstate 24 as we entered the state. We drove into a well-maintained area. There, we passed by picnic areas, a camp ground, and some rustic areas before finding the site of the old fort. We looked at the museum, watched a short video of the history of the area, and toured the recreation of the fort.

Native Americans used this site as a strategic area overlooking the Ohio River. In 1540, Hernan de Soto and his men built a primitive fort on the location. Spain eventually ceded the land to the French, the French built a more sturdy structure at the location in 1757. The French abandoned the fort in 1763 after the French and Indian War. It was burned by a group of Chickasaws. The British finally took posession of the area and rebuilt the fort on the same location. However, in 1778, Colonel George Rogers Clark took possession of the Illinois Territory, including this fort.

In 1794, President Washington ordered the fort rebuilt, and it protected the interests of the United States in the Ohio Valley. After the New Madrid earthquake in 1811-1812, the fort was in disrepair, and the local citizens used the timber for building material and for firewood. Eventually, in 1903, the Daughters of the American Revolution became interested in the historical interests of the site and convinced the state of Illinois to purchase the site and the nearby land. It became the first state park in Illinois.

My wife and I enjoyed the short (0.5 mile hiking trail and the longer (2.5 mile) Hickory Ridge Nut Trail that runs along the banks of the Ohio River. Almost all of the 50 camping spaces were taken when we visited. We also saw two large groups of people having family picnics. There was a boat ramp available on the river. The park ranger informed us that people fish for bullhead, carp, catfish, crappie, drum and largemouth bass. Some of the catfish that we saw brought in were over 10 pounds in size.

As a historical site, this was a great find for us. We were shown evidence of four distict cultures that had inhabited the spot. The people were friendly. The river view from the top of the bluffs was beautiful. In all, a great time was had.

From journals Metropolis: More Than Superman