6-18-17 I & M Canal LaSalle to beyond Utica

Today we decided to drive to La Salle, Il and start riding on the I & M Canal. The Illinois and Michigan Canal connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. It ran 96 miles (154 km) from the Chicago River in Bridgeport, Chicago to the Illinois River at LaSalle-Peru. The canal crossed the Chicago Portage and helped establish Chicago as the transportation hub of the United States, before the railroad era. It was opened in 1848, its function was largely replaced by the wider and shorter Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in 1900 and it ceased transportation operations with the completion of the Illinois Waterway in 1933. ( From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Lock 14 looking west

The Lock walls are made up of cut stone, later canals like the Hennipen are made of Portland Cement, all canals locks after the Hennepin were made of cement,as is the Panama canal.

We started at Lock 14 and rode west to where the canal terminated at the Illinois River, only a short distance from Lock 14. The path is rather overgrown here,

Lock 15 which is submerged, this is where the boats loaded up with supplies and goods that came up the Mississippi and the Illinois Rivers to be taken to Chicago and then all over the USA.

Back to Lock 14 looking east to where we are headed, in the background is the excursion boat that is pulled by a mule for sight seeing.

Note the large arm that was used to open and close the lock gates

The silhouette man shows how the gates were operated. 

 Below is the RailRoad bridge just east of LaSalle Trail Head

I 39 Bridge

 Looking south towards the Abraham Lincoln Bridge over the Illinois River

Split Rock, they had to blast through here with Black Powder and picks and shovels, they were determined!

The History sign of Split Rock , tells a story that is quite interesting. 

Double click on the picture to enlarge for easier reading.

Abandoned Railroad bridge just west of Utica

Shabbona's Rock where he would sit and meet with people, it has been moved from its original spot 3 times and is now located in Utica at the museum. Below is the plaque that tells the story.

Looking back at Utica as we continue east.

This is where the trail was blocked due to a washout I was told by someone we met on the trail. The washout is near Buffalo Rock Park.

A view of the canal at our turnaround point.

 Back to 351

 When we got back to the Trailhead in LaSalle, IL we were met by Moe and the Groom Person, pulling the Excursion Boat up the canal.

The Deck Hand is pushing the boat away from the shore.

Back to our access point.

Then we drove back to Utica for lunch at Duffys, Good Food!

It was a beautiful day for our first ride on the I&M Canal. We will have to return and ride another segment!