RICHARD GROSS

Historian Consultant
email:  ragross58@hotmail.com

Richard Gross began studying the history of Rene-Robert Cavalier Sieur de La Salle in 1975 at the age of 17, in preparation for an authentic reenactment of La Salle’s journey of discovery from Montreal to the Gulf of Mexico. Gross was one of 23 men who, in celebration of the Bicentennial of the United States, retraced La Salle’s journey to claim the Mississippi River watershed for King Louis XIV.

For the next 25 or more years, Richard continued researching La Salle’s activities. His research and first hand experience persuaded him that many inconsistencies exist even in historical sources that are considered authoritative.

In 2006, Richard joined forces with Marty Fischer, who was using aerial photographs to attempt to locate La Salle’s Crevecoeur site on the Illinois River. The two found the secondary sources dealing with La Salle and his enterprise were unreliable and began focusing on primary sources, including La Salle’s letters, Claude Bernou’s official account of La Salle’s activities from 1678 – 1680 and several journals and letters of participants in La Salle’s journeys.

Richard believes that his experience of canoeing and walking the entire route of La Salle’s journey has given him unique insights. In addition, his education as a biologist has equipped him to more accurately interpret La Salle’s environmental descriptions.

Richard earned a B. A. in Biological Sciences from Southern Illinois University in 1981. He received Illinois Teacher Certification from Northern Illinois University in 1998 and an M.A. in Teacher Leadership, emphasis in Biology, from Roosevelt University in 2000.