MAROA,  a  city  in  Macon  County,  on  the  Illi-
nois Central  Railroad,  13  miles  north  of  Decatur
and  31  miles  south  of  Bloomington.  The  city  has
three  elevators,  an  agricultural  implement  fao-
tory,  water-works  system,  electric  light  plant,
telephone  service,  two  banks,  one  newspaper,
three  churches  and  a  graded  school.  Population
(1890),  1,164;  (1900),  1.213;  (1910),  1,160.
MARQUETTE,  (Father)  Jacques,  a  French
missionary  and  explorer,  born  at  Laon,  France,
in  1637.  He  became  a  Jesuit  at  the  age  of  17,  and,
twelve  years  later  (1666),  was  ordained  a  priest.
