The Kaskaskia Bell State Memorial on Kaskaskia Island in southwest Illinois will host its 55th annual patriotic ceremony celebrating our nation’s independence at 1 p.m. Friday, July 4.
The 320 year old village of Kaskaskia is home to the Liberty Bell of the West.
The 650 pound bell was cast in 1741 and 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 Clark and his Long Knives when they captured the British garrison stationed there. In later years, the bell became known as the Liberty Bell of the West.
This year’s program will feature a presentation by historian and public speaker Tim Heggemeier on “George Rogers Clark and his Long Knives Across Randolph County.” The presentation will cover events of the Revolutionary War 250 years ago.
For more on Heggemeier, please see this week’s print edition.