Marquette Jacques 1637-1675 Born At Laon In The North Of France
Joined the Society of Jesus about 1654, and sailed for Canada, 1666.
Sent to the Upper Lakes, 1668, and stationed at La Pointe, near the
western end of Lake Superior, 1670. Here he heard from the Illinois of a
great river flowing far to the south, and was filled with an ardent
desire to explore it. His opportunity came two years later, when he was
chosen by the Intendant Talon to accompany Louis Jolliet on his
memorabl
exploration of the Mississippi, 1673. Descending the river to
the mouth of the Arkansas, and satisfying themselves that it flowed
neither into the Atlantic nor the Gulf of California, but into the Gulf
of Mexico, they returned to Green Bay, arriving in Sept. 1673. Marquette
remained at the mission of De Pere until 1675, when he established a
mission at Kaskaskia, on the Illinois. His strength had been broken by
the difficult journey of 1673, and on his return from Kaskaskia to
Michilimackinac, died on the shore of Lake Michigan, May 18, 1675. In
the winter of 1676 his bones were brought to Michilimackinac and buried
there. =Index=: (Count Frontenac era) Accompanies Jolliet in his explorations, 155. (Bishop Laval era)
One of the founders of mission at Sault Ste. Marie, 11; follows course
of Mississippi, 11, 146; accompanies Jolliet in his explorations, 59;
his death, 146. (Wolfe / Montcalm era) Descends the Mississippi with Jolliet, 19. =Bib.=:
Shea, Discovery and Exploration of the Mississippi Valley; Griffin,
Discovery of the Mississippi; Parkman, La Salle; Breese, Early
History of Illinois; Sparks, American Biography, ser. 1, vol. 10.