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Pimiteoui

Historical Marker
Illinois State Historical Society

Meaning "Fat Lake," Illinois Indian name for Peoria Lake. Here passed Jolliet and Marquette in 1673. Established near the lake were Ft. Crevecoeur, 1680; Ft. St. Louis, 1691-1692; Old Peoria's Fort and Village, 1730; Peorias, 1778; Ft. Clark, 1813; French Trading House "Opa Post," before 1818. Americans settled on the site of the City of Peoria in 1819.

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What's The Story

Antoine Hennepin, a member of the Franciscan order, accompanied René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle into the Illinois Country and was present at the construction of Fort Crèvecoeur. According to Hennepin, the Indians called Lake Peoria “Pimiteoui,” which meant “fat lake” or a place where there is an abundance of food.

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