Legend of the Piasa, The
County:
Madison
Picture:
Location:
The marker is located on IL Rt. 100 (Great River Road) six miles northwest of Alton.
Latitude:
38.8979
Longitude:
-90.1991
Dedication Date:
10/06/1984
Dedication By:
The Junior League of Greater Alton and The Illinois State Historical Society
Marker Description:
In 1673, Jacques Marquette reported that he and fellow French explorer Louis Joliet discovered a painting of what was probably two “water monsters” on the bluffs of the Mississippi River near present-day Alton. By 1700, those pictographic creatures were no longer visible. In 1836, the novelist John Russell described an image cut into the bluff of a legendary dragon-like creature with wings. According to Russell, the creature was called Piasa, “the bird that devours men.” That version of the pictograph, as well as myths about the Piasa, have become prominent in folklore.
Map: