Metro East Sun

Rep. David Friess joined in the historic celebration of an Illinois village’s three centuries old birthday.

“I want to thank Mayor Mark Wilson for allowing me to participate in Prairie du Rocher’s 300th anniversary and Connie Stellhorn for showing us the Conner House,” Friess wrote on Facebook. “It was good to see GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey and candidate for state treasurer Tom Demmer at the festivities.”

The Second Continental Congress declared independence from the British in 1776, essentially establishing what would eventually become the United States. Prairie Du Rocher has existed 1722.

Prairie Du Rocher is hosting 300th anniversary celebrations throughout the year. The fun started with Mardi Gras events in February, the birthday celebration on July 9 and 10, and will continue throughout the year. The final celebration is on December 4, “La Fete de Noel.”

“Southern Illinois is blessed to have a rich history that began long before the founding of our nation,” Rep. Bost said to WSILTV. “Founded in 1722 as a French settlement, Prairie du Rocher once represented the western boundary of the United States.

The Conner House is a bed and breakfast facility in Prairie Du Rocher. It is located at 315 Main Street in Prairie Du Rocher and has multiple rooms available for visitors.

WSILTV reported Bost worked on legislation to make the village into a national park.

Friess spoke out in February when the Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) ended the mask mandates put in place by Governor J.B. Pritzker. 

"Yesterday’s ruling was an unprecedented win for families and children in Illinois," Friess said in a statement. "The Illinois Department of Public Health tried to keep our children masked despite the lack of evidence that masks do anything to prevent the spread of COVID. House Republican members asked the hard questions of IDPH and demanded they produce evidence to support its position, and they had no answers. Here’s the thing, IDPH will never have any answers."