Site Access:
Free; Fee
Handicap Accessible
Parking
Amenities: Information; Restrooms; Hiking; Biking; Fishing; Viewing Platform; Picnic; Visitors Center
Description:
French explorer/cartographer Louis Jolliet first suggested the construction of a canal connecting Lake Michigan with the Mississippi River (via the Illinois River) in 1673, but it wasn't until 1836 that construction actually began. The canal, measuring 96 miles long by 60 feet wide by six feet deep, was completed in 1848, instantly allowing boat travel from Chicago to reach the navigable portion of the Illinois River at LaSalle-Peru in one day – a journey that took several days by wagon.
Eventually, railways, which hauled even more cargo at a much quicker pace, replaced canal transport. By the 1870s, even newly-introduced steam-powered boats could not keep up with railway commerce. By 1933, even hunting, fishing, and other pleasure crafting ceased on the I&M with the completion of the Illinois Waterway, which joined the now-channelized portions of the Des Plaines and Illinois Rivers with the Sanitary and Ship Channel.
In 1984, the canal was successfully included as a component in the U.S.
National Park Service's National Heritage Corridor Program, which provides for not only funding but also planning, programming, and various amenities along the canal route. Today, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources manages the towpath of the I&M as a state trail, open to hikers and bikers for 60 miles of its length. Similarly, local towns and villages are refurbishing I&M-related buildings, locks, bridges, and other structures.
While in LaSalle County, visitors should take the opportunity to check out the following sites along the Illinois & Michigan Canal:
Seneca Grain Elevator - From I 80 at Ottawa, take Exit 90/SR (State Route)
23 south through Ottawa for 1.5 miles, turning east (left) on US 6/E Norris Dr. and following US 6 for 12.8 miles to SR 170/N Main St. in Seneca. Turn south (right) onto SR 170/Main St. and follow 0.3 miles to Williams St. Turn west (right) for 0.1 miles to the elevator on the left side of the road.
Located in Seneca, IL, the Seneca (M.J. Hogan) Grain Elevator (open by
appointment only: 815-942-9501) is one of the last of the old 19th century
grain storage structures in Illinois. Built in 1862, the elevator allowed local farmers to store their grain for shipment instead of transporting it directly to markets by horse and wagon. The 65-foot structure possesses a storage capacity of 70,000 bushels, and handled well over 750,000 bushels per season.
Along the I&M Canal, the wildlife lover might spot a variety of songbirds, Mallards, Wood Ducks, Green and Great Blue herons, Bald Eagles, Muskrat, mink, Beaver, Raccoon, and deer. Fishermen can be challenged to hook bass, crappie, bluegill, carp or catfish. Winter sports enthusiasts can enjoy a snow-covered canal towpath through snowshoeing or cross-country skiing.
Utica Museum Complex - From I 80 at Ottawa (Exit 90) go south on SR
(State Route) 23 for 1.5 miles to the intersection of US 6. Turn west (right)
onto US 6 and follow it approximately 9.2 miles to the intersection of SR 178. Turn south (left) on SR 178 for approximately 2.2 miles to the corner of Mill and Canal Streets, turning east (left) into the parking area on the right side of the road.
The Utica Museum Complex (phone: 815-667-4861) houses the LaSalle
County Historical Society, a group that acquired the stone warehouse (ca. 1848), one of 3 remaining original buildings on the I&M, which houses the society's headquarters as well as a bookstore/gift shop and a number of exceptional exhibits. Also part of the complex are the Aitken School, an 1865 one-room school house, a stone blacksmith shop (ca. 1892) which houses a fine blacksmith tool collection, and an original white pine pegged barn (ca. 1875) with antique tool collection.
Lock 14 Canal - From I 80 at Ottawa (Exit 90) go south on SR (State Route) 23 for 1.5 miles to the intersection of US 6. Turn west (right) onto US 6 and follow it approximately 14.2 miles to the intersection of SR 351/Joliet Street. Turn south (left) on SR 351/Joliet Street, following it across the I&M Canal, and turning west (right) on the Lock 14 entry road 0.2 miles after crossing the I&M Canal bridge.
Of the 15 original locks installed to maneuver boat traffic up and down the 140-foot elevational grade between Chicago and LaSalle-Peru, only one survives: I&M Canal Lock 14, in LaSalle, IL. Like all the other I&M locks, Lock 14 was built with local limestone, and possesses massive white oak gates and swing arms. This site also provides visitors with an idea of the scale of canal boat operation. Only a short distance further downstream of Lock 14 along the I&M trail system, visitors can view the canal's confl uence with the Illinois River.
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