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First Time Visitor Mass Schedule Parish Activities History Servants of the Holy Heart Holy Family Academy Sacred Places The Restoration Preservation Society National Register Founders' Day Email us |
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The legend of the founding of St. Marie says that thirty-two families from the area of Montreal, Canada, mostly newlywed or single came up the St. Lawrence River in search of farmland on the prairie. They traveled across the Great Lakes and stopped at Fort Dearborn (Chicago). Then they pushed south through the swamps and frontier until they reached what is now Beaverville. The group consisted of families with names such as Fortin, Dionne, Boudreau, Benoit, Nourie, LaFond, and at least six Arseneau families. They settled here because of the good land and the many creeks. In 1905, the village name, St. Marie, was changed to Beaverville, when the village founders realized that there was another town in Illinois named St. Mary. The settlement of St. Marie in 1851 was led by Francise Besse, who became a general merchant. Since the first settlers came to the area, the church has been the center of society. |
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