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 (22)
- Museums (17)
- Parks / Preserves (27)
- Corridor / Trail (2)
- Historical Societies (19)
- 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
- January 27 at 12:00pm to January 29 at 2pm: Nouvelle Annee—1743, Historic Old Fort Rivergreenway, Fort Wayne, IN
- January 28 from 10am-1pm: Little Canada Historical Society Open House, 515 Little Canada Road, Little Canada, MN
- January 28 at 1pm: Friends of the Chicago Portage lecture “Jolliet & Marquette’s Discovery of Chicago”, 4209 Joliet Avenue, Lyons, IL
- February 3 from 7-10 pm: Bouillon Dansant, Chicago, IL
- February 4: Ste. Genevieve King’s Ball, MO
- February 18: Fete de Voyageur, Prairie du Chien, WI
- February 25 at 1pm: Friends of the Chicago Portage lecture “The History of the Chicago Portage”, 4209 Joliet Avenue, Lyons, IL
- February 25 & 26: Old Mines Celebrates 300th Anniversary – La Brigade Winter Shoot, Potosi, MO
- March 4 from 10am-4pm: Maple Sugaring at Fort Ouiatenon, 3129 S. River Road, West Lafayette, IN
- March 11 at noon: “Solid Path through Water”, Dr. Jim Healy will portray Louis Jolliet, Kankakee Public Library, Kankakee, IL
- 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
- 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 29 at 1pm: Friends of the Chicago Portage lecture “The Chicago Portage—A Lasting Gift”, 4209 Joliet Avenue, Lyons, IL
- May 20 & 21: Old Mines Celebrates 300th Anniversary – La Brigade Rendevou at Old Mines, Potosi, MO
- June 3 & 4: 53rd Annual Fort de Chartres Rendezvous, Prairie du Rocher, IL
- June 14-16: Third Annual French Heritage Corridor Conference, Prairie du Chien, WI
- 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