Antoine was born in 1731 in the village of
Kaskaskia to Antoine and Francis Bienvenu. Antoine has three
older sisters--Marie, Jeanne, and Elizabeth. His grandfather
Philippe, a master carpenter, came to Illinois about 1719 from
France. With the help of 50 slaves, Antoine's father farmed
land in Kaskaskia and Prairie du Rocher. Their land was located
outside the village in an area called "the big field." Antoine
and his family lived in the village.
© Illinois State Museum 31-Dec-96