French Heritage Corridor
The French Heritage Corridor initiative comprises seven states in the Midwest (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin). This network, joined by waterways connecting with the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes, transcends borders to recreate in the Midwest what was once la Nouvelle France.
While French history and heritage of eastern Canada and of Louisiana is typically well known and understood by the general public, the region comprising the French Heritage Corridor which lies between them is not as universally appreciated.
The French Heritage Corridor is dedicated to developing synergy and raising the collective awareness about the rich French history and heritage that has, since the 17th century, melded with the vibrant multicultural landscape in what is today the Midwestern United States.
Click here to discover our First Annual Conference, “A Midwest Renaissance”, held in May 2021 in Prairie du Rocher, IL.
Click here to discover our Second Annual Conference, “Making our Dream a Reality”, held last May in Lafayette and West Lafayette, IN.
Discover French Heritage Sites in the Midwest
- All Locations
- Overview (8)
- Historic Sites (24)
- Museums (17)
- Parks / Preserves (27)
- Corridor / Trail (2)
- Historical Societies (20)
- Native American / French (9)
- Cultural Immersion (5)
- Historic Markers (7)
Click on the menu items above to see the locations.
For General Information
about FHC
Lisa Kahn, Director
French Heritage Corridor Initiative
fhschicago@frenchheritagesociety.org
The 7 FHC Ambassadors
(IA) Ceil Miller-Bouchet
ceilmillerbouchet@gmail.com
(IL) James Paul
jpaul764@hotmail.com
(IN) J.Colby Bartlett
cbartlett@ouiatenon.org
(MI) Michael Nassaney
michael.nassaney@wmich.edu
(MN) Rob Mann
rmann@stcloudstate.edu
(MO) Tandy Thompson
tctetal@gmail.com
(WI) Mary Elise Antoine
antoine@mhtc.net
French Heritage Corridor Events
- March 25 at 1pm: Friends of the Chicago Portage lecture “Mapping the Chicago Portage : Seventeenth-Century Explorations by Jolliet, Marquette, LaSalle, and Joutel”, 4209 Joliet Avenue, Lyons, IL
- March 26 at 1 pm: “Solid Path Through Water”, Dr. Jim Healey will portray Louis Jolliet, Starved Rock Lodge https://www.lasallecountyhistoricalsociety.org/event-info/louis-jolliet-a-path-through-water
- March 25 & 26: Spring Militia Encampment and Training at Ste. Genevieve, MO
- April 1: Old Mines Area Historical Society French Seminar, Potosi, MO
- April 1 & April 2: Fort de Chartres Colonial Market Faire, Prairie du Rocher, IL
- April 2 from 2pm to 5 pm: Bottineau Jig: Untold Tales of Early Minnesota, Joly Family Center for International Understanding, MN
- April 15 from 7-9 pm: “Louis Jolliet: A Solid Path Through Water”, Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park and Theatre, Joliet, IL https://www.tickettailor.com/events/billielimacherbicentennialparkandtheatre/857013?
- April 15 & 16: Ecole du Soldat, Ste. Genevieve, MO
- April 29 at 1pm: Friends of the Chicago Portage lecture “The Chicago Portage—A Lasting Gift”, 4209 Joliet Avenue, Lyons, IL
- May 17: Expedition 3 will start from St. Ignace Michigan commemorating the 350th Anniversary of the Jolliet-Marquette expedition that led to the claiming of the entire land and water mass from Quebec to New Orleans for King Louis XIV
- May 20 & 21: Old Mines Celebrates 300th Anniversary – La Brigade Rendevou at Old Mines, Potosi, MO
- May 21 from 2:45 – 5:00 pm EST: Detroit French History Cruise, Stroh River Place, 2680 Atwater St, Detroit, MI Détroit French History Cruise | Rendez-vous Détroit (rendezvousdetroit.org)
- June 3 & 4: 53rd Annual Fort de Chartres Rendezvous, Prairie du Rocher, IL
- June 10 & 11: French Heritage Festival, Ste. Genevieve, MO
- June 15-17: Third Annual French Heritage Corridor Conference, Prairie du Chien, WI
- June 24: Honey Festival and Market at Ste. Genevieve, MO
- June 24: 300th Anniversary Event, St. Joachim Church, Old Mines, MO
- July 15 from 10 am to 4 pm: ““Indigenous Cultural Arts Day”, Indian Agency House at Fort Winnebago, Portage, WI Events | HIAH (agencyhouse.org)
- July 22 from 10 am to 4 pm: “French-Metis Cultural Arts Day”, Indian Agency House at Fort Winnebago, Portage, WI Events | HIAH (agencyhouse.org)
- July 29 from 10 am to 4 pm: “Enduring Skills: Cultural Arts Edition”, Indian Agency House at Fort Winnebago, Portage, WI Events | HIAH (agencyhouse.org)
- July 30 from 11 am to 3 pm: “Enduring Skills: Cultural Arts Edition”, Indian Agency House at Fort Winnebago, Portage, WI Events | HIAH (agencyhouse.org)
- August 5-6 from 10 am to 4 pm: Archeological Open House at Fort St. Joseph, 1415 Bonds Street, Niles, MI–Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project | Western Michigan University (wmich.edu)
- August 12 & 13: Jour de Fete, Ste. Genevieve, MO
- September 12 at 6:30 pm: “Speaker Series #4, Mary Antioine”, Indian Agency House at Fort Winnebago, Portage, WI Events | HIAH (agencyhouse.org)
- September 15 at 5:30pm: Bourbonnais Grove Historical Society’s Fleur-de-Lis Celebration Dinner (fundraiser for preservation of FHC site Bourbonnais Grove’s 1837 log schoolhouse)
- October 1: Annual Fete d’Automne, Old Mines, MO
- October 7 & 8: 6th Annual Fall Militia Encampment at Ste. Genevieve, MO
- October 21: Night of the Werewolf at Ste. Genevieve, MO
- October 28: Rural Heritage Days at Ste. Genevieve, MO
- November 4: Pecanapalooza Street Festival at Ste. Genevieve, MO
- November 4 & 5: Fort de Chartres Winter Rendezvous, Prairie du Rocher, IL
- December 29: Old Mines Area Historical Society Village Christmas, Potosi, MO
- December 31: Prairie du Rocher La Guiannee at Fort de Chartres, Prairie du Rocher, IL