[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 49 (Monday, March 26, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E441]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                           SAINTE MARIE 175TH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOHN SHIMKUS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 26, 2012

  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the village of Sainte 
Marie, Illinois, upon its 175th anniversary.
  Sainte Marie was founded in 1837 by immigrants from eastern France. 
They were a group of several related families, who, fearful of outside 
influences on the Church, decided to establish a colony in America, 
where they might practice their religion as they saw fit. To this end, 
they elected to send one of their children, Joseph Picquet, to find a 
suitable place for their settlement. At the time, Picquet was only 19 
years old, but he was wise beyond his years.
  After arriving in America in 1835, Picquet lived briefly in 
Philadelphia, learning the language and local customs. He then spent 
most of 1836 exploring America and her vast wilderness. After extensive 
travel, he settled on a location for the colony in southern Illinois on 
the Embarras River, not far from Vincennes, Indiana. He chose the site 
for its untapped resources and the strong French presence in the area.
  Having found the site for the colony, Picquet then returned home to 
collect his family, and in June of 1837, Picquet and 24 of his 
relatives arrived in what would become the village of Sainte Marie. 
While preparing their settlement, they stayed on a nearby farm, and 
their construction efforts were blessed by Father Stephen Theodore 
Badin, the first priest to be ordained in the United States.
  On October 28, 1837, Picquet and the other settlers took possession 
of the land, which they dedicated to the Virgin Mary. They called it a 
Colonie des Freres, since they were all related by either blood or 
marriage. Largely due to Picquet's efforts, the colony quickly grew and 
became a cultural center for the region. It soon had such facilities as 
a saw mill, a post office, a church, a free school, and even a railroad 
station. The settlement was renamed Sainte Marie, retaining the 
spelling of their French heritage, and in 1865 Sainte Marie was 
officially chartered by the State of Illinois.
  Today Sainte Marie remains a charming rural community which teaches 
strong morals and family values. Its citizens are proud of their town 
and its history, as well as the many businessmen and professionals it 
has produced. This summer the people of Sainte Marie will honor the 
town's history and its citizens with its Quartoseptcentennial 
Celebration. In recognition of this momentous occasion, I ask my fellow 
members of this House to join with me as I wish them success in their 
upcoming festivities and in the years to come.

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