Ste. Marie is a village in Jasper County, Illinois, United States, along the Embarras River. The population was 244 at the 2010 census. Early history In the early 1800s, some French had become greatly concerned and dismayed by the effects on the Catholic Church from the French Revolution and the attacks by unbelieving philosophers. Some families, including the Picquets, began to consider emigrating in order to establish elsewhere a new social order based on the principles of the Gospel. In 1835, 19-year-old Joseph Picquet was sent to the United States to "spy out the land" and report back to the family. Joseph landed in New York and worked for nine months in a business house in Philadelphia. In early 1836, Joseph began his exploration of the country. His travels took him to Pittsburgh; Lima, Ohio; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Indianapolis; Vincennes, Indiana; Vandalia, Illinois; and St. Louis. Instructed to stay away from large cities, he turned eastward and finally decided on the land in Eastern Illinois that is now Ste. Marie, partly because of its proximity to Vincennes, a strong French city with an availability of priests to say Mass. At that time there was not a single house between Newton and Olney. In October 1836 Joseph returned to France and gave a favorable report of the land. On January 29, 1837, an association of five including Jacques Picquet, Joseph Picquet, Joseph Schifferstein, Charles Hoffman and Joseph Picquet was formed, with the intent of acquiring and developing land in the United States. A contract was written and signed by the members of the association. On June 20, Joseph returned to the United States with the nucleus of a colony, all related by either blood or marriage, 25 in all, on the ship Mogul. Because they were all related, the new settlement was to be named Colonie des Freres or "Colony of Brothers". On July 20, the new immigrants bought a small farm near St. Francisville where they stayed for several months. On October 1, the settlers left St. Francisville and came to begin their new settlement. They boarded with William Price who had a cabin nearby. On October 12, Ferdinand Hartrich, Etienne Lauer and Joseph Picquet went to Palestine and recorded approximately in the Land Office there. Father Stephen Theodore Badin, a Frenchman, came during this time to bless this work of their own hands and celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of