French Heritage Museum and famous French explorers.

The museum focuses on the French involvement in the history of Kankakee, IL, and the surrounding areas. They have stories about the first explorers of Kankakee, coureur de bois, and fur traders. The pioneer settlers came from France, Quebec, Canada, and Belgium. They were mostly focused on getting wealthy in the fur trade. The museum helped people research and find their French ancestors through the genealogy program. The museum opened in the summer of 2012. 

Noel Levasseur

He was born on December 24, 1798. He died on December 15, 1879. He was unable to read or write. He spoke Indian dialect. He came during the year 1832, and he was the first permanent French-Canadian settler in town. He helped deal with the Treaty of Tippecanoe on January 21, 1833. The treaty agreement allowed the turnover of all land in Illinois and Indiana to be given to the United States exchange the Potawatomi Indians got money and a new territory in Iowa. Potawatomi was the last Indian village. It was vacated in 1856. He was one of the founders of the Village of Bourbonnais. He was a fur trader for the American Fur Company. He lived in the area for the rest of his life.

François Brunet Bourbonnais Sr. 

He resided in Bourbonnais Creek, Illinois from about 1829-1834. 

He was a French Canadian trader. He married an Indian woman named Catfish. In 1830, the Bourbonnais family was living in La Pointe. In 1836 the family moved to Platt County, which was located in Missouri. Then, they settled on the Potawatomi Reserve in St. Mary, Kansas. They packed their belongings left with the Potawatomi tribe, and the family departed Illinois. Bourbonnais was named after Francois Bourbonnais because he was the first man to live in the county, even though he only stayed briefly. Historians believe that Francois Bourbonnais died somewhere in the late 1840s. 

The Stone Barn/Lemuel Milk Carriage House

It is the oldest remaining building in downtown Kankakee. It is also called The Stone Barn, located on Oak Street and Indiana Avenue. The Kankakee Historical Society can not set an exact date of when it was made, but they do have documentation that The Stone Barn was standing during the Civil War in the 1860s. The Stone Barn was a stable for the Kankakee Fire Department’s horses, housed a sign painter’s shop, and provided storage for a local hardware store. It was extensively renovated in the 1970s to house a bakery and restaurant. In 1975, it became the headquarters for the Junior League, a civic organization for young women. After, the group disbanded in 2010, the Kankakee County Historical Society deeded the property. In 2012, it became a part of the French Heritage Museum.