2 - Kankakee Valley Genealogical Society

stories he had told to his Canadian countrymen, of how fortune smiled on the
frugal and industrious in his adopted home, Illustrated and corroborated by
his own success in the accumulation of landed wealth, kindled their
imaginations. His reports were published far and wide. One who was induced
by them to try his fortune on the Kankakee, makes the following statement:
"They read like interesting romance. They caused a great sensation. In
some localities people became greatly excited and prepared to sell their
farms and holdings forthwith in order to go at once to the new country."
But it Is said that the immigration to Bourbonnais did not commence until
1844. That year there came the Rivards, St. Plerres, Flageoles, Legris,
Delunais, Lapolice, Martins, Savoies, Belgards, Lafluers, Coriveaux and
other families no less prominent.
LeVasseur interested himself actively in the welfare of all the new
accessions to the colony. He located their land at the government land
office; sold them land, and helped them to build their homes. In 1846 the
early reports of LeVasseur, concerning this splendid county, were revived;
and that year witnessed perhaps the largest number of French Canadian
Immigrants to Bourbonnais. In 1847 three men came on behalf of Canadian
friends and relatives to investigate conditions and report thereon. They
were John B. Letourneau, Captain Fortin and Alexander Boucher. They all
returned to Canada, carrying back most encouraging reports of the general
prosperity enjoyed by the Bourbonnais settlers. But with them had came
George R. Letourneau and Godfrey Mathieu, who remained and became permanent
and substantial factors in building up this prosperous community. The next
year, others came, moved by the favorable reports of John B. Letourneau and
his associates of the preceding year.
Among those who came in the years 1846, 1847 and 1849 were Peter Spink, the
four Fortin brothers and families, the two Langlois brothers and their
families, the Dellibacks, David Granger, the Brosseaus, Joseph E. Labrie,
the Bissettes, Rossettes, Lesages, and Alexis Carrom. The French
immigration practically ceased with the years 1850, 1851 and 1852. Among
the last immigrants were the families of the Grandpre brothers, of
Constantin, of the two Berard borothers, the Lesages and Brais.
For years all immigrants from Canada, whatever their ultimate objective,
came primarily to Bourbonnais and made this the base of their first plans
and operations in the new country. Many of them settled afterwards in other
portions of the county or in neighboring counties. Our appreciation of the
Importance of the French settlement here and our interst in it must be
greatly increased when we pause to think that from it went forth the people
who established every other French town in Kankakee and Iroquois Counties.
Kankakee is a large measure, St. Anne, LeErable, St. Mary, Papineau, all
must acknowledge Bourbonnais as the mother; and, more than that, from old
Bourbonnais and these, her nearby children, sprang all that French Canadian
colonies of Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas.
This is the story of Bourbonnais and the early French settlement thereof;
but we must not leave the account of LeVasseur so incomplete. He was united
in marriage with Miss Ruth Bull, of Danville. As the issue of this marriage
there were eight children, four boys and four girls; all of whom are now
deceased, except one, Mrs. Dr. Monast, of Chicago. Mrs. LeVasseur was a
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