Marys River (Illinois) Marys River (Illinois) Marys River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in Illinois. It drains a small watershed between the Big Muddy River and the Kaskaskia River. It joins the Mississippi just southeast of Chester, near Kaskaskia. Because of its proximity to Kaskaskia — the capital of Illinois Territory and the first capital of the State of Illinois — Marys River was the site of early settlements leading into the interior of Illinois. Marys River is approximately in length. The following cities and towns are in the Marys River basin: Parts of the following counties are in the Mary's
Fox River (Illinois River tributary) near the Fox River included the Potawatomi, Sac, and Fox tribes. The Fox River has 15 dams, including McHenry Dam, which raises the river slightly to maintain depth in the Chain O'Lakes in northern Illinois, and a hydroelectric dam near Ottawa. In the winter, bald eagles can be found nesting along the banks. Early in the history of Illinois, the Fox River provided water for the Illinois and Michigan Canal via a feeder canal, allowing the canal to pass over the Fox River on an aqueduct. In 1996, a flood damaged the Farnsworth House in Illinois, a residence designed by