The public is invited to attend the 51st annual patriotic ceremony celebrating our nation’s independence on Sunday, July 4, at 1 p.m. at the Kaskaskia Bell State Memorial on Kaskaskia Island in southwest Illinois.
The Kaskaskia Bell State Memorial houses the “Liberty Bell of the West” which was cast in 1741 and was presented by 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 Clerk. In later years, it became known as the “Liberty Bell of the West.” This year’s July 4 program will feature remarks by historian Stephen Kling.
For more on the Fourth of July event, please see this week’s print edition.