Jean-Baptiste Barbeau, the Younger & The Bluff at Barbeau's Creek

 

Jean-Baptiste Barbeau (Image Source: Access Genealogy, artist not yet known)

 

Jean-Baptist Barbeau may have been born 27 Sep 1726/27/28. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, District of New France (now New Orleans, Louisiana, USA). His parents were Jean-Baptiste Barbeau dit Poitevin*, a master joiner born in France, and Sylvie Le Moine. Jean-Baptiste was known as "the Younger", not after his father, but after his brother of the same name who was known as "the Elder". Jean-Baptiste, the Younger, was, for a time, a captain in the militia at Prairie du Roche. He married  Marie-Jeanne LeGras 29 Oct 1748 at Fort de Chartres, Kaskaskia (now Prairie du Rocher, Illinois, USA) on 29 Oct 1748. The couple had seven known children (a son and then six daughters): Jean-Baptiste (1755-1798, Marie Jeanne (1760-1842), Rene Julia (1763-1814), Suzanne (1766-1835), Marie Louise (1769-1796), Constance (1772-1820), and Ursulla (1744-1820). Most sources say Jean-Baptiste passed away 25 Nov 1798, although some give a later year of 1810. He was interred at St. Joseph Cemetery, Prairie du Rocher.

 

He built the family home under a sandstone bluff that is now known as Modoc Rock Shelter. In 1841, some years after Jean-Baptiste's death, Swiss-born American painter and lithographer, John Caspar Wild visited the site and created the lithograph shown below. This is the only known work showing what was very likely the house built by Jean-Baptiste. The once glittering stream has since gone dry and a new house sits next to the bluff. In the 1950s, thousands of years worth of artifacts were found at the site, as far as 28 feet into the earth and evidence that humans had camped at the site throughout the last 9000+ years. It has since been declared a National Historic Landmark. It is located on Bluff Road, between Prairie du Rocher and the neighboring village of Modoc, Illinois. There is no real parking available, but historic signage is present. For photos, see the top link below.


1841 Lithograph by John Casper Wild, titled "Barbeau's Creek" (Image Source: Northern Illinois University Library)
 

For more information, use the following links:

Modoc Rock Shelter Info with Photos | OnlyInYourState.com

Modoc Rock Shelter History | Wikipedia

John Caspar Wild | Wikipedia

 

*"dit" is pronounced "dee". Loosely-translated, it means "going by", "goes by" or "that is to say". When found in names, it indicates the person goes by the name that follows it and was likely born with the name that precedes it. In other words, "Jean-Baptiste Barbeau, also goes by the surname Poitevin". This is seen several times in our family tree and was not uncommon in North America during the time of New France.

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