Welcome
Bienvenue
Welcome to the French Heritage Corridor
Bienvenue to the French Heritage Corridor (FHC), where you are part of a vast network and history comes to life through your journey of discovery!
Before there were states, and long before there was a United States of America, there was a section of the Midwest, known as la Nouvelle France.
Are you ready to dive deep into the expansive and rich world of our French history?
This collection of seven states- Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin- joined by waterways connecting with the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes, transcends borders and is referred to as the French Heritage Corridor (FHC).
Taking inspiration from waterways, which were the original connectors, we invite you to come aboard for adventure, to become part of a growing community and to create bonds that cross borders.
As you explore the Midwest, you’ll uncover a rich yet often overlooked French influence that has shaped the region’s culture, architecture, and traditions since the 17th century. The French footprint is found throughout the FHC – from place names and material culture – to cultural traditions and events that endure to this day.
A special initiative of the French Heritage Society’s Chicago-Midwest Chapter, the French Heritage Corridor invites you to experience “la Nouvelle France” through vibrant communities, historic sites, and engaging stories and events that connect the past with the present.
Cultural heritage isn’t just about the past. It’s about connecting it to the future. Whether you are a passionate historian, dedicated student, or a traveler curious about French history and culture in the Midwest, this is an inclusive network to connect to our shared history and resources and, most of all, the French Heritage Corridor is a welcoming place to explore, learn and have FUN!
To create synergy and raise awareness of the rich French heritage in the seven states, FHC has developed a mobile-friendly interactive map for use as an informational resource and a regional networking tool. Our Interactive Map highlights key locations throughout the French Heritage Corridor for you to explore and with which to easily connect.
This is a resource for professionals in the tourism industry, educators and individuals alike. Whether you are building a class curriculum for your state history courses, planning a trip full of locations rich in culture or gathering information for a report, let our map be your resource and guide to exciting locations of French history and culture throughout the Midwest!
Interactive Map:
Get Connected
Calendar of Events
What’s Happening
All Around
the Seven States
There is always something going on in the French Heritage Corridor! From grand festivals and historic reenactment rendezvous encampments, celebration galas, foodways demonstrations, informative talks and our annual conference, the seven states are alive with events celebrating our French Heritage.
Our curated calendar of events connects people with opportunities to learn about, support and celebrate the ongoing impact of the French, French Canadian and other francophone communities in the Midwest.
Events in June 2025
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Educational Modules
Explore
The Many Chapters
of Our French Heritage
Are you ready to dive deep into the expansive and rich world of our French history?
Our educational modules have been developed to give you the tools and resources needed to learn about the French Heritage Corridor in the Midwest. Available in English and French, our educational modules facilitate in-depth exploration of the history of IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, MO, WI and la Nouvelle France as a whole.
Let the history come alive with stories, images and a special resource section which includes teaching activities, suggested tours, a reference guide and links to active groups and programs.
Whether you are developing a course for your students, curious about a state’s history or diving into your ancestry, explore the rich heritage of the French Heritage Corridor.
French Heritage: The Beginning
We can trace the beginnings of French heritage in North America to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when France, like other European powers, sent explorers, traders, and settlers to the continent hoping to exploit the riches they were confident they would find here. In the sixteenth century, the French wished to increase trade with China and the…
The Fur Trade
The French in North America quickly realized that this continent had riches that they could exploit via the fur trade. For the fur trade network to function, they depended on Native people, who trapped the animals and exchanged the furs and skins for European-produced merchandise. The relationship between the French and Natives was complex as…
A Trader’s Accounts
We can consult documents written by fur traders in order to get to know something about their life. Here, we’ll take a look at a few pages from one of the account books of a Quebec fur trader named Joseph Bailly (1774-1835). Bailly was born near Montreal and worked principally in the area that is…
Old French Maps
Just as the French Heritage Corridor’s interactive map helps orient us to the resources available within the region of the Corridor, maps made by the early French explorers and settlers helped them to highlight important features of this territory. The maps changed through time, as the French became more familiar with the terrain of the pays d’en haut and…
Teaching Materials
The materials here are intended to assist teachers of French who wish to help their students learn about the heritage of the regions that were known in the era of La Nouvelle France as le pays d’en haut and le pays des Illinois. They may also be used by anyone who wishes to read about this history and culture in…
Publications and Active Organizations
There is much more to explore! Here are some sites you can navigate to, and a list of reference books and articles where you can get much more information. Importantly, be sure to click on the links that are provided on the map of the French Heritage Corridor itself!…
Join Us for Our Annual Conference
Once a year, we come together for an action-packed multi-day conference that illuminates the Midwest’s francophone cultural heritage and strengthens our network of institutions, sites and people.
This annual conference gives us the opportunity to connect our presentations and round-table conversations to the places themselves by visiting sites within the FHC together. In the warmth of community, we identify opportunities for help as well as our triumphs.
At the FHC’s annual conferences, you will meet new people, connect through shared passions and come home inspired from this unique event.
Annual Conferences