Kaskaskia, Illinois
Liberty Bell State Park
GPS coordinates: 37.9221,-89.9150
Take a photo of your rally flag with the above image.

The Kaskaskia Liberty Bell is located on Kaskaskia Island, one of only two parts of Illinois that is west of the Mississippi River. During the 1700s, the town of Kaskaskia was the first capitol of Illinois, populated by French explorers, their indian wives and their families.

Called the Liberty Bell of the West, the Kaskaskia Bell is actually older than the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. It was presented to the local Catholic church by King Louis XV of France and is inscribed, "For the Church of the Illinois, by gift of the King across the water." The bell was shipped from France to New Orleans and then pulled up the Mississippi River by ropes on a flat-bottomed boat, arriving in 1743. On July 4, 1778, during the American Revolution, the bell was rung to celebrate the liberation of Kaskaskia from the British by the American forces.

The bell was rung every 4th of July until 1993 when it was damaged in a flood. 4th of July ceremonies are still held there.

Bonus stop: To the north is Fort Kaskaskia with commanding views of the Mississippi and Kaskaskia rivers.