Revisiting the forts and village at Chartres in the Illinois Country

Fort de Chartres and the associated village of Chartres served as the governmental center of the Illinois Country for more than 50 years. Although it is generally understood that the fort itself was rebuilt at least two times, the sequence and location of these forts has been only vaguely discussed in the literature. The village itself has received less attention. This article presents a thorough chronological account of the construction of the forts, suggests the possibility of a third wooden fort at the locale, and also addresses the layout and growth of the associated village. Finally, it is argued that the Laurens site, tested in the early 1980s and interpreted as the first Fort de Chartres, actually reflects the remains of a later, longer-term fortification.