Program

Historic Transportation Canals

Subject

Transportation

Location

200 E 9th St, Lockport, IL 60441, USA

Lat/Long

41.590629, -88.058405

Grant Recipient

Lockport Area Genealogical and Historical Society

Completed in 1848, the Illinois and Michigan Canal (I & M Canal) linked Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River via the Illinois River. It was used for both passenger travel and commercial use in the shipment of goods and products such as lumber and grain. The canal started at the south branch of the Chicago River and ran nearly 100 miles, ending at the city of La Salle on the Illinois River. According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the I & M Canal is believed to have provided the first complete water route between the East Coast of the United States and the Gulf of Mexico. Since its closure around 1933, remaining portions of the canal have been repurposed for recreational use as part of the Illinois Greenways & Trails Program.

A Historic Transportation Canal Marker in commemoration of the canal will be placed outside the Gaylord Building at 200 W 8^th Street in Lockport, Illinois. According to the Illinois DNR, the Gaylord Building was used to store building supplies while the I & M Canal was being constructed, and as of 2022, it offers visitor information and exhibits on the I & M Canal.