It was destroyed on April 16, 1680 by members of La Salle's expedition, who mutinied and abandoned it, fearful of being attacked by the Iroquois League as the Beaver Wars extended into the area.

[3][5][6] It was intended to help the local Peoria tribe defend themselves against the powerful Iroquois league, who had entered this region to secure hunting grounds for the beaver fur trade.

[7] On that day in January, Mass was celebrated and the Gospel preached by the Récollets, Gabriel Ribourde, Zenobius Membre, and Louis Hennepin.

Dr. Daniel Coxe wrote in 1719: Monsieur LaSalle erected a fort in the year 1680, which he named Crève-coeur, from the Grief which seiz'd him on the Loss of one of his chief trading Barks richly laden, and the Mutiny and villianous [sic] Intrigues of some of his Company, who first attempted to poyson and afterwards desert him.

[15] While on his return trip up the Illinois River, La Salle concluded that Starved Rock might provide an ideal location for another fortification and sent word downriver to Tonti regarding this idea.

[3] On visiting the ruins of the fort a few days later, La Salle observed that someone had written on the side of the unfinished barque, "Nous sommes tous sauvages," ["We are all savages"].

They had invaded the region from their stronghold south of the Great Lakes, and were disrupting and attacking the local Illinois communities at the height of the Beaver Wars.

[10] In addition, one of the mutineers, shipbuilder Moyse Hillaret who was later captured, testified that "some [of the men] had had no pay for three years," and alleged that La Salle had mistreated them.

[18][19] In a deposition made before the Sieur du Chesneau, Intendant of New France, dated 17 August 1680, Hillaret stated the mutineers were dissatisfied "because the said Sieur de La Salle wanted them to build sleighs to draw his goods and personal effects as far as the village of the Illinois [the site of the proposed Fort St. Louis (Starved Rock)].

Tonti returned to Fort Crèvecoeur to collect any tools not destroyed[3] and moved them to the Kaskaskia Village of the Illinois near Starved Rock.

[3] Meeting de Tonti met with the parties in advance, representatives of both the Iroquois League and the Illinois Confederation accused him of treachery.