Bourbonnais Grove Historical Society

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    • Home
    • French Roots
      • Bourbonnais Grove
      • The Bourbonnais Family
      • Noel LeVasseur
      • Wa-che-ke
      • George R. Letourneau
      • French Canadian Corridor
    • Museum Campus
      • Letourneau Museum
      • Richard Preserve
      • Log Schoolhouse
    • For Members
      • Pay Dues
      • Volunteer
      • Meeting Minutes
      • Newsletters
      • Resources
    • Events
      • Les Artisans Fair
      • Fleur-de-Lis Celebration

Bourbonnais Grove Historical Society

Bourbonnais Grove Historical SocietyBourbonnais Grove Historical SocietyBourbonnais Grove Historical Society
  • Home
  • French Roots
    • Bourbonnais Grove
    • The Bourbonnais Family
    • Noel LeVasseur
    • Wa-che-ke
    • George R. Letourneau
    • French Canadian Corridor
  • Museum Campus
    • Letourneau Museum
    • Richard Preserve
    • Log Schoolhouse
  • For Members
    • Pay Dues
    • Volunteer
    • Meeting Minutes
    • Newsletters
    • Resources
  • Events
    • Les Artisans Fair
    • Fleur-de-Lis Celebration
The  Bauvais-Amoureux house in St. Genevieve, Missouri.

The French Canadian Heritage Corridor in Illinois

Historic Places along the Corridor

In 2015 the Illinois State Legislature designated a portion of Interstate 57 as the French Canadian Heritage Corridor to honor the contributions by French Canadians in Kankakee and Iroquois counties. Signs at southbound exit 322 near Manteno and northbound exit 293 near Ashkum mark the corridor. 


French Canadian settlements such as Bourbonnais, St. George, L'Erable, Papineau, and St. Anne were established along the corridor between the 1820s and 1850s. 


History and genealogy resources 

  • French Heritage Museum, Kankakee, Illinois
  • French Canadian Heritage Wall, near L310, main campus bldg, Kankakee Community College
  • George R. Letourneau Home Museum, Bourbonnais, Illinois
  • Kankakee Valley Genealogical Society, Kankakee, Illinois
  • Iroquois County Genealogical Society, Watseka, Illinois


Historically significant churches in the corridor

  • Maternity BVM Church Bourbonnais, Illinois
  • St. Rose of Lima Chapel, Kankakee, Illinois
  • National Shrine of St. Anne Church, St. Anne Illinois
  • St. Mary's Church, Beaverville, Illinois
  • St. John the Baptist, L'Erable, Illinois

New 7-state French Heritage Corridor!

BGHS is now part of the French Heritage Society's French Heritage Corridor project, which includes 7 Midwest states. 


Details about this exciting initiative can be found at French Heritage Corridor - French Heritage Society.

The French in the Kankakee River Valley

Read this short history of the French and French Canadian presence in Kankakee and Iroquois counties by BGHS member Dr. James Paul.

French Canadian Heritage Corridor (pdf)

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All Rights Reserved.


P.O. Box 311 

Bourbonnais, IL

815.933.6452

  • French Canadian Corridor
  • Letourneau Museum
  • Les Artisans Fair