The woman born 242 years ago who gave Monee its name was honored Sunday with a statue and dedication of a newly completed park.
Village officials and residents gathered in the park on Governors Highway at Court Street to hear the history of Marie LeFevre Bailly and to view the unveiling of a statue in her likeness.
Village Economic Development Director Bill Barnes opened the ceremony.
“Two years ago,” he said, “across from where we stand today, Memorial Park was transformed from an empty lot into a place where residents can pay tribute to loved ones who have passed.
“Today, we are here at this place to recognize and honor Monee’s namesake, and to unveil our very first life-like statue of Marie. This idea began two and a half years ago while visiting my daughter in California and seeing several statues along the Pacific Coast Highway and throughout the region.
“Presenting the idea of having a statue of Monee’s namesake Marie to Mayor Bogs, Administrator Bautista and our board of trustees, they agreed that bringing the arts into Monee and making this a destination point and gathering place was the right thing to do. After researching and vetting several sculptors, we collectively agreed that Sydney Ryan, a former student of Bradley University and resident of Peoria was the right person to award this project. Being an abstract artist myself, I never realized the many integral steps that are involved in sculpting, especially for a life-like image of a person.
A year and half later, we are here to not only witness what Ms. Ryan created, but also to realize the importance of never forgetting our past, and those who came before us, and the sacrifices they made for a better way of life despite many difficulties.
“In addition to Sydney, others played a big part in creating this park. I would like to recognize Crockett Construction, GC Designs Landscaping, Art’s Landscaping, Schmidt Electric and Farnsworth Group for all their work to take this idea from paper into reality.”
In her comments, Mayor Therese Bogs said the dedication was “a moment of great pride in the history of our Village of Monee.
“We are here to honor and unveil a statue dedicated to our founding namesake, Marie ‘Monee’ Lefevre Bailey—a remarkable woman whose story has shaped the identity of this community.
“Marie was born in the late 1700s – half Odawa Native American and half French–during a time when women, especially Native American women, were seldom recognized, much less celebrated. And yet, Marie’s presence, her faith, and her influence were so profound that her name endured. What began as a simple mispronunciation—because the Odawa language had no ‘R’ sound—became ‘Mah-nee,’ and in time, ‘Monee.’
“That name would not only live on but would one day become the name of our Village.
“Marie was remembered as a gifted storyteller, a devoted wife and mother, and a woman of deep Catholic faith,” Mayor Bogs continued.
“She was, in every sense, a bridge between cultures and generations. She carried herself with quiet strength, and in doing so, left behind a legacy of resilience, hope, and inspiration.
“What makes today’s tribute especially meaningful is the artistry of sculptor Sydney Ryan. With no photographs of Marie to guide her, Sydney immersed herself in research and poured her heart into this work. She has given life and form to Marie’s story, capturing her dignity, her grace, and her enduring spirit. Thanks to her vision, we now have a lasting symbol of Marie’s legacy, one that will inspire future generations and stand as a testament to the strength of those who came before us.
“As we celebrate this unveiling, we honor not only Marie’s life, but the unity, history, and resilience that her name has come to represent. Let this statue remind us that the story of Monee is built on courage, perseverance, faith, and that her spirit continues to live on in this community.
“On behalf of the Village of Monee,” she said, “I am proud to dedicate this statue to Marie “Monee” Lefevre Bailey, our founding namesake, whose legacy will forever be part of who we are.”
Christi Holston, president emeritus of the Monee Historical Society, noted that the MHS was researching Marie’s life and role in the village 14 years ago.
“We are here today to honor not only the namesake of our hometown, but also to acknowledge and pay tribute to the people who inhabited this land long before our ancestors settled here,” she said.
“I grew up in Monee hearing about the Legend of ‘Princess Monee’. We all saw what we were told was her picture hanging in the post office. We had walked past the fenced-in area in Raccoon Grove that was said to be her grave, but no one knew if these stories were really true. We didn’t know whether she was a real person or just a fairy tale.
“What we did know for certain was that many local farmers had collections of arrowheads that they had found while tilling the fields surrounding Monee. Axe heads and other stone tools had been found in and around Raccoon Grove. History books told us that the Pottawatomi had migrated through our area, traveling the Sauk and Hubbard Trails.
“In 2011 the Monee Historical Society was founded and began to put the pieces of the puzzle together,” she continued, “and the true story of Marie ‘Princess Monee’ LeFevre-Bailly and our rich Native American history began to emerge.
“Marie LeFevre was born in 1783. Her father was a fur trapper, and her mother was a Native American of the Odawa people. Marie married Joseph Bailly, a French-Canadian fur-trader around 1810, and they settled along the bank of the Little Calumet River. For many years, their homestead was an important stopping point on the north-south trail of the Potawatomi who stopped there on their annual migration to their winter hunting grounds in our area and the Kankakee River Valley.
“The 1833 Treaty of Chicago relocated many Potawatomi and Odawa to Kansas and Oklahoma, but Joseph Bailly negotiated an exception for his family and was awarded land in Will County. This was listed on the treaty as “For the five daughters of Mo-nee, by her last husband, Joseph Bailey, two sections.” The center of this 1,280-acre reservation was located at what is now the intersection of Egyptian Trail and Pauling Road.
“Marie, M-A-R-I-E came to be called M-A-U-N-E-E because there is no “r” sound in her native Algonquin language.
“The Illinois Central Railroad named the nearby train stop ‘Monee Station’ in the early 1850s, making Marie Bailly the accepted namesake of Monee, Illinois.
“After many years of living in the shadows of myth and legend, we are proud to bring forward the true history of this remarkable woman.
“No verified historical records exist depicting her appearance. This portrayal draws upon careful research of her tribe’s heritage and represents an informed interpretation by both artist and historians of how she might have looked.
“With this statue, we honor not only Marie LeFevre Bailly but also pay tribute to the thousands of Potawatomi and other Native American people who inhabited this land before us.
“Please come visit the Monee Heritage Center at Firemen’s Park to learn more about Marie and the Native Americans of our area,” she said. “We currently have special exhibits during Fall Fest in her honor.”
Holston also provided the complete history of Marie Lefevre”
Marie Lefevre was born in 1783 at a small fur-trading settlement called Frenchtown near Detroit Michigan. Her father was a trapper named Lefevre of Gascon and her mother was a native American of the Odawa who’s family lived in Waganakisi near what is now Petosky Michigan. Part Odawa and part French, this highly respected and traditionally skilled woman lived through rapidly changing times; she navigated the shifting control over the Northwest Territory and the detrimental effects of manifest destiny on Indigenous American peoples. She resolutely oversaw the family and homestead on the Little Calumet River for more than 30 years after the death of her husband, raising their children and grandchildren in an ever-foreign world.
When Marie was about seven years old, her father suddenly died. Marie’s mother was evicted from her house when her husband’s European relatives arrived at the Lefevre home, claiming all possessions and forcing them to move back to her family’s village. Here Marie was raised in the Odawa culture where she became skilled in traditional practices and excelled in storytelling.
Marie married Joseph Bailly around 1810 and settled on Mackinac Island MI. Bailly was an experienced French-Canadian fur-trader. They had five daughters, Esther, Rose, Eleanor, Frances and Hortense and their only son, Robert.
It was common for the French who came to trade for the valuable beaver furs to marry indigenous women, as the matrilineal kinship ties were necessary to insure the rights to the best trading routes and partnerships. Native women were powerful partners in agriculture as well, as they were responsible for ensuring a surplus of crops each year to feed the absent voyageurs
During the War of 1812, Fort Mackinac was captured by the British and Joseph Bailly was taken prisoner. Following his release in 1814 he became an American citizen which allowed the family to again enter the fur trade and, in the summer of 1822, Joseph and Marie settled along the bank of the Little Calumet River in what is now the Indiana Dunes National Park. The site was strategically located near two Native American trails, including the northern branch of the Sauk Trail which connected Detroit to Fort Dearborn.
For many years, their home was an important stopping point on the trail from Detroit to Fort Dearborn (Chicago) for new European arrivals. Michigan Potawatomi stopped at the homestead on their annual migration southwest to their winter hunting grounds in what is now eastern Will County and the Kankakee River valley.
The 1833 Treaty of Chicago forced the Potawatomi to leave their ancestral homeland for land in Kansas. Some exceptions were awarded and Joseph Bailey negotiated land in Will County, Illinois, “ For the five daughters of Mo-nee, by her last husband, Joseph Bailey, two section, or 1280 acres. The center of this reservation was located at what is now the intersection of Egyptian Trail and Pauling Road. The Illinois Central railroad, named the nearby train stop “Monee” after Marie in the early 1850s. Marie was called Mau-nee because there is no “r” sound in the Algonquin language, making Marie Bailly the accepted namesake of Monee, Illinois.
On December 21, 1835, Joseph Bailly died and after a period of financial turmoil because of the existing laws limiting women’s inheritance rights, Marie was able to gain control of the family’s real estate holdings in Illinois and Indiana. In 1851 Marie sold the Racoon Grove property to William Butler Ogden, a personal friend of Joseph’s and the first mayor of Chicago, for about $5.00 an acre. He immediately subdivided the land and resold it.
Marie continued to live at the Homestead in Indiana until 1866 without ever visiting the town that bears her name. The Bailly Homestead is now a part of the Indiana Dunes National Park and is being restored to the period when Marie and Joseph lived there and were an important part of the history of the westward expansion.
Marie was an expert negotiator. She had to be to survive in two worlds, that of the French and the Indigenous. She was born into tumultuous times where the French, British, and Americans all had conflicting interests in the area. She had to navigate a host of conflicts, warfare and land cessions and their effects, throughout her lifetime. Marie was a survivor. She saw her world change from one of respect for her indigenous culture to one of derision. She lived to an advanced age and endured much hardship and sorrow, but remained kind, thoughtful of others, and charitable. She remained true to her native culture through her entire lifetime.
After many years of living in the shadows of myth and legend, we are proud to bring forward the true history of an amazing woman.