Kaskaskia Bell Shrine and the Liberty Bell of the West
1st Street, Kaskaskia Island, Ellis Grove, IL 62241
Historic Sites
Known as the Liberty Bell of the West, the Kaskaskia Bell was rung as the island was captured from the British during the Revolutionary War
The Kaskaskia Bell State Memorial is a brick building that houses a bell cast in 1741 by King Louis XV (1710-1774) of France as a gift to the Catholic Church of the Illinois Country. Originally located at the Immaculate Conception Parish at Kaskaskia, the bell was rung by villagers to celebrate their July 4, 1778 liberation from the British by American Colonel George Rogers Clark (1752-1818). In later years, it became known as the “Liberty Bell of the West.” The Memorial also contains murals depicting scenes from Kaskaskia history.
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