Editing Streator, Illinois (section)

===Pre-settlement===
Settlement in the region began with the [[Kaskaskia]] tribe of the [[Illiniwek| Illiniwek Confederation]].  This Native American tribe's [[Grand Village of the Illinois|Grand Village]] was located on the north bank of the [[Illinois River]] in nearby [[Utica, Illinois]]. The Kaskaskia "were hunters and gatherers, farmers, warriors and traders." The Illiniwek were the last remnants of the [[Mississippian culture]].<ref name="nps-natamer">{{Cite web |title=The Illiniwek |url=http://www.nps.gov/archive/jeff/LewisClark2/Circa1804/Heritage/NativeAmericans/NativeAmericanInfluence.htm |access-date=2008-11-02 |website=The Lewis and Clark Journey of Discovery |publisher=U.S. National Park Service}}</ref>
French explorers Father [[Jacques Marquette]] and [[Louis Jolliet]] were the first Europeans to enter this region during a visit to the Grand Village in 1673.  Marquette established a mission at the village in 1675. In 1679, French explorer [[René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle|Robert de LaSalle]] ordered a fortification to be built at the site that was later known as [[Starved Rock State Park|Starved Rock]].  Later that year [[Iroquois]] attacked the Kaskaskia village and the 8,000 villagers dispersed. The French and local tribes again fortified the village and created [[Starved Rock|Fort St. Louis]], but the Iroqouis continued to attack. The settlement was eventually abandoned by 1691.<ref name="kaskaskia">{{Cite web |title=Old Kaskaskia Village Site |url=http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/explorers/sitec16.htm |access-date=2008-11-02 |website=Explorers and Settlers / Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings |publisher=U.S. National Park Service}}</ref>

In the years after the initial exploration, the French settled their newly claimed territory as [[Louisiana (New France)|La Louisiane]]. During much of the 18th century the region was sparsely populated by French, British and American fur traders. The French ceded control of the part of the La Louisiane territory east of the Mississippi River to the British at the end of the [[French and Indian War]] in 1763. Of this territory ceded by the French to Britain, the part extending down to the Ohio River was added to Britain's [[Province of Quebec (1763–91)|Quebec Province]] when the British Parliament passed the [[Quebec Act]] in 1774. During the [[American Revolutionary War]] (1775–83), this region that had been added to Quebec was claimed by Virginia in 1778, after a victory over the British by [[George Rogers Clark]] at [[Kaskaskia, Illinois|Kaskaskia]]; Virginia named the region [[Illinois County, Virginia|Illinois County]].

After the war, the area was included in the territory ceded by Britain to the United States under the [[Treaty of Paris (1783)]]; in 1784, Virginia ceded its claim over Illinois County to the [[Congress of the Confederation]] of the United States. This area, south of what remained of Britain's Quebec but north of the Ohio River, later became the [[Northwest Territory]] created by the [[Congress of the Confederation|Congress]] on July 13, 1787. From part of this Northwest Territory area, the [[Indiana Territory]] was formed by the [[United States Congress]] on July 4, 1800; from part of this Indiana Territory area, the [[Illinois Territory]] created by Congress on March 1, 1809; and from part of that Illinois Territory area, the state of [[Illinois]] was admitted to the union on December 3, 1818, by Congress.

The city of Chicago served as the main impetus of growth in the area throughout the early 19th century, and more importantly to the region around Streator was the development of the [[Illinois and Michigan Canal]] in 1821.  This canal connected [[Lake Michigan]] to the [[Mississippi River]], greatly increasing shipping traffic in the region.  Land speculation in areas lining the canal and rivers ensued and towns sprouted quickly.<ref name="Kett01">{{Cite book |last=Kett |first=H.F. |url=https://archive.org/details/pastpresentlasa00cogoog |title=The Past & Present of LaSalle County, Illinois |publisher=H.F. Kett & Co. |year=1877 |location=Chicago |page=[https://archive.org/details/pastpresentlasa00cogoog/page/n642 653] |quote=History of La Salle County Illinois. |access-date=2008-10-02}} page:25</ref> Individual settlements in the Bruce Township region started as early as 1821. In 1861, John O'Neil established the first settlement in what was to become the city of Streator when he opened a small grocery and trading business.<ref name="Kett01" />{{rp|323}}