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Cultural Resource Programs

Comprehensive Environmental Review Program (CERP)

The CRMP participates in the IDNR Comprehensive Environmental Review Program (CERP) which is designed in part to ensure compliance with federal and state natural and historic resource protection and preservation mandates.

Park-wide Surveys

Establishing a statewide inventory of significant historic resources is essential for ensuring a balanced approach to preserving and protecting the resources. This is best accomplished though timely park wide surveys and assessments. Surveys conducted include:

  1. Apple River Canyon State Park
  2. Beaver Dam State Park
  3. Cave-in-Rock State Park
  4. Fort Massac State Park
  5. Giant City State Park
  6. Horseshoe Lake State Park
  7. Kankakee River State Park
  8. Lake Le Aqua Na State Park
  9. Pere Marquette State Park
  10. Starved Rock State Park
  11. Trail of Tears State Forest
  12. Union County Conservation Area
  13. White Pines State Park.

Public and Professional Programming

The CRMP interprets historic resources on IDNR managed lands to foster an awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the cultural heritage of Illinois. This is accomplished though wayside exhibits, brochures, and professional publications.

Brochures include:

  1. Historic Kankakee River State Park. Historic Native American and EuroAmerican Settlement.
  2. The Archaeology of Nineteenth-Century Canal Boats at the Morris Wide Water, Illinois and Michigan Canal State Trail.
  3. National Register Sites of Starved Rock State Park.
  4. The Griggsville Landing Lime Kiln at Ray Norbut State Fish and Wildlife Area, Pike County, Illinois.
  5. The Civilian Conservation Corps and Illinois State Parks.
  6. Nineteenth Century Pottery Production at the Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area
  7. Camp Logan National Guard Rifle Range Historic District at Illinois Beach State Park, Lake County, Illinois.

Professional publications include:

  1. Early Industrialized Pottery Production In Illinois. Illinois State Museum, Reports of Investigation, No. 53.
  2. An Archaeological Survey of Horseshoe Lake State Park, Madison County, Illinois. Illinois State Museum, Reports of Investigation, No. 55.
  3. Canal Boats Along the Illinois and Michigan Canal: A Study in Archaeological Variability. Illinois Transportation Archaeological Research Program, Transportation Archaeological Research Reports No. 10.
  4. The Windrose Site. An Early Nineteenth-Century Potawatomi Settlement in the Kankakee River Valley of Northeastern Illinois. Illinois State Museum, Reports of Investigation, No. 56.
  5. The Archaeology and History of Horseshoe Lake, Alexander County, Illinois. Center for Archaeological Investigations, Research Paper, No. 60.
  6. The Archaeology and Rock Art of the Piney Creek Ravine, Jackson and Randolph Counties, Illinois. Illinois Transportation Archaeological Research Program, Transportation Archaeological Research Reports No. 12.

National Register Nominations

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Nation's list of archaeological sites, buildings, structures and other objects recognized for their historical, archaeological, architectural and/or engineering significance. Based upon their significance, National Register sites are considered worthy of preservation as determined by the Secretary of the Interior. Significance may be on a national, statewide, or local scale.

Sites Currently Listed on the National Register (27)

  1. Nauvoo Historic District (landmark)- Nauvoo State Park (1966)
  2. Illinois and Michigan Canal National Landmark - I&M Canal State Trail (1966)
  3. Fort Massac (archaeology) - Fort Massac State Park (1971)
  4. Ogden-Fetti Mound - Dickson Mounds Museum (1971)
  5. Dickson Mounds - Dickson Mounds Museum (1972)
  6. Ryan Round Barn - Johnson Sauk State Park (1974)
  7. Naples Mound 8 - Ray Norbut Cins. Area (1975)
  8. Golconda Historic District - Golonda (1976)
  9. Briscoe Mounds- Channahon vicinity (1978)
  10. Hennepin Canal Historic District - Hennepin Canal State Parkway (1978)
  11. Naples Archaeological District - Ray Norbut Cons. Area (1979)
  12. Horseshoe Lake Mound and Village - Horseshoe Lake State Park (1980)
  13. Duncan Farm (archaeology) - Pere Marq. (1982)
  14. Starved Rock (landmark)- Starved Rock State Park (1984)
  15. Civilian Conservation Corp Lodges - P Marq, St. Rock, Giant City, White Pines (1985)
  16. Chicago, Burlington &Quincy Railroad Depot - Rock Isl. Trail, Wyoming (1994)
  17. DuQuoin State Fairgrounds - (DuQuoin (1990)
  18. Fall Creek Bridge - Fall Creek Rest Stop (1996)
  19. Armour/Hogan Grain Elevator - Illinois and Michigan Canal State Trail (1998)
  20. Cave-in-Rock - Cave-in-Rock State Park (1998)
  21. White and Company Potteries - Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area (1998)
  22. Starved Rock Multiple Property Listing (Corben Farm, Hotel Plaza, Shaky Shelter and Little Beaver) - Starved Rock State Park (1998)
  23. Griggsville Landing Lime Kiln - Ray Norbut Cons. Area (1999)
  24. Smith/Duncan Stone House - Pere Marq. State Park (1999)
  25. Canal Boats - Illinois and Michigan Canal State Trail (2000)
  26. Windrose Archaeological site - Kankakee River State Park (2000 )
  27. Camp Logan - Illinois Beach State Park (2000)

Historic Cemetery Inventory

The Department owns 41 historic cemeteries located at numerous sites across the state. In 1996, the CRMP initiated a program to document each cemetery and to prepare management recommendations for the maintenance and preservation of these significant historic resources.

Detailed forms were prepared for each cemetery along with sketch and location maps. The goal is to establish a data base for future research and to develop site specific management plans designed to preserve and protect the resource.

Illinois and Michigan Canal Archaeological Research

The Illinois and Michigan Canal is recognized as a National Historic Landmark and was the first federally recognized national historic corridor. The archaeological potential along the canal has long been recognized but under developed. Because the canal is a historic landmark as well as a historic corridor it has captured the interest of numerous local municipalities and not-for-profit organization whose goals are the long term preservation and interpretation of the significant historic resource. Because DNR owns the actual canal and its structures as well as a 90 foot corridor on either side of the prism wall the Agency has a unique opportunity to guide future research and to ensure preservation of the resource within its property.