About
Mission
The French Heritage Corridor initiative comprises seven states in the Midwest -Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin. This network, joined by waterways connecting with the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes, transcends borders to recreate in the Midwest what was once la Nouvelle France.
French history and heritage of eastern Canada and Louisiana is typically well known and understood by the general public; however, the region comprising the French Heritage Corridor which lies between them, has slipped under most people’s radar and has lacked such an all-inclusive networking platform.
The French Heritage Corridor (FHC) is an initiative of FHS Chicago-Midwest chapter dedicated to developing synergy, raising collective awareness about, preserving and sustaining the rich French history and heritage that has, since the 17th century, melded with the vibrant multicultural landscape in what is today the Midwestern United States.
Friendship- l’amitié- The FHC creates community through a close-knit network of historic sites, organizations and individuals involved in supporting, studying and celebrating French history and cultural heritage and re-connecting to France, Canada, Haïti and other places in the Americas as well as federally recognized Native American Tribes.
Education- The FHC provides a complement of resources for teachers, students of all ages and for the tourism sector.
Preservation and Sustainability in Communities throughout the FHC– The FHC drives tourism; is committed to inspiring the next generation by transmitting and safeguarding skills, knowledge and an appreciation of French heritage in the American Midwest; and is a source for architectural restoration and cultural preservation through grant giving.
GRANTS: Architectural Restoration and Cultural Preservation Opportunities in the FHC – As a special initiative of French Heritage Society’s Chicago-Midwest chapter, FHC is a preservation advocate which helps identify and support eligible FHS restoration projects located within the French Heritage Corridor. Contact Lisa Kahn, Director of the FHC and FHS American Grants Representative for more information.
Below is a list of FHS Midwest Grantees in the FHC:
- Fort de Chartres (IL),
- Chatillon Demenil House (MO)
- Bourbonnais Grove Historical Society’s First Log Cabin School House (IL)
- The Carillon at Ste. Anne de Détroit Cathedral (MI)
- Cultural Grant for the conservation of metal fittings found at Fort St. Joseph (MI)
Click here to make a fully tax-deductible donation to the French Heritage Corridor Initiative.
FHC Ambassadors
The FHC Ambassadors are the point person for their respective state.
Contact your state’s FHC ambassador to learn how to get involved, ask state-related questions and post announcements and/or events on the FHC website’s Calendar of Events.
(IA) Ceil Miller-Bouchet
(IL) James Paul
(IN) Colby Bartlett
(MI) Michael Nassaney
(MN) Gregory Cash
(MO) Tandy Thompson
(WI) Michael Poma
Click here and contact your state’s FHC Ambassador
Leadership Team
Lisa Kahn
Director of French Heritage Corridor Initiative
Dr. Charles Balesi
Author and Historian
Amy Fienga
FHS Paris affiliate and founder of the FHS Student Exchange Program
Sylvette Nicolini
FHS Chicago-Midwest Chapter Steering Committee Member
Marc Rosier
Author and Historian
Logan York
Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
Honorary Committee
The Honorable Yannick Tagand
Consul Général de France in the Midwest
Princesse Marie Sol de La Tour d’Auvergne
Baronesse Isabelle de Laroullière
Madame Jeanne Lamy-Belzil
Public & Governmental Affairs Officer, Délégation du Québec à Chicago
Diane Hunter
Myaamia Heritage Preservation Specialist
Randa Duvick
FHC Module Developer
Julie Kemper Foyer
William T. Kemper Foundation
Perri Irmer
President & CEO, DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center: A Smithsonian Affiliate
Jeanne Gang
Architect and Founding Principal and Partner of Studio Gang
Andrew Nussbaum
Wisconsin Department of Tourism
Annual Conferences
Through site visits and presentations, our multi-day annual conference illuminates the Midwest’s francophone cultural heritage and strengthens its network of institutions, sites and people.
Click here to discover our First Annual Conference, “A Midwest Renaissance”, held in May 2021 in Prairie du Rocher, IL.
Click here to discover our Second Annual Conference, “Making our Dream a Reality”, held in May 2022 in Lafayette and West Lafayette, IN.
Click here to discover our Third Annual Conference, “We’re All In This Together!”, held in June 2023 in Prairie du Chien, WI.
Click here to discover our Fourth Annual Conference, “What’s Cooking: la recette for Creating Collaboration in the French Heritage Corridor”, held in May 2024 in Monroe, MI.
Click here to discover our Fifth Annual Conference, “Inspiration and Amitié: Sustaining Life in the FHC,” held in April 2025 in St. Louis, MO.
General Information about FHC
Lisa Kahn, Director
French Heritage Corridor Initiative
Contact Us
Contact for inquiries about speaking requests, general information and architectural restoration grants within the FHC.