Frenchman John LaMotte, separated from the LaSalle exploring party, traveled down the Wabash River and first saw this region in 1678, and other French settlers arrived during the 18th century. By 1812, westward-moving Americans began building Fort LaMotte, and as its palisade filled with settlers, some moved a few miles to the northwest and founded Fort Foot. The settlers at Fort LaMotte formed the core of Palestine, which was platted in 1818 by Joseph Kitchell and Edward Cullom and served as the Crawford County seat until 1843. The town's growth was slow until a United States Land Office opened in 1821 and brought new importance, drawing people to buy land, attend court, seek entertainment, and mill grain. Travelers also passed through, including Abraham Lincoln in 1830 on his way to settle in Illinois. The Land Office continued to elevate the town's standing: Robert A. Kinzie came in 1831 to buy 102 acres for $127.68, land that became the nucleus of Chicago, and Augustus C. French, a New Hampshire native, served as a receiver there from 1839 to 1843 before becoming the first "Yankee" elected governor of Illinois, winning office in 1846 and again under the new constitution of 1848.