The early origins of the line began with Alton and Sangamon Railroad.    This was chartered by the state of Illinois in 1847 to provide service between Alton and Springfield, Illinois.  This line was completed in 1852.  Additional amendments to the original state charter provided for service to Peoria, Bloomington ( 1854), and Joliet (1855)    The railroad was then known as the Chicago and the Mississippi.   Passenger service from Joliet to Chicago was over the Rock Island tracks.   Freight at Joliet was transferred to canal boats for the trip to Chicago.

In 1855, the Joliet and Chicago was chartered by the state to provide rail service between Chicago and Joliet.  It was completed in 1856.    The tracks were leased by the Chicago and Mississsipi to allow access into the Chicago market.   In 1857, the lines were reorganized as the St. Louis, Alton, and Chicago Railroad  and in 1862 as Chicago and Alton Railroad.  The C and A chartered the Alton and and St. Louis Railroad to provide service to East Saint Louis.

The Chicago and Alton had several prosperous years.  It then had issues with labor unions and decreased freight revenues.   The line went into receivership in 1922. It was sold to the Baltimore and Ohio in 1931.  Over they years it was owned by multiple lines.

In 1971, Amtrak took over the passenger line between Chicago and Saint Louis.  In 1975, Metra took control of the passenger service between Chicago and Joliet.    The freight lines were absorbed by Union Pacific in 1996.

 

      One piece of historical information.  It was on the Chicago and Alton line that the body of Abraham Lincoln made the finally journey to Springfield.Illinois.

 

 

The Illinois and Michigan Canal was completed in 1848  It provided both freight and passenger service between Chicago and LaSalle,  Illinois.

In February, 1847, the Rock Island and LaSalle Railroad was chartered by the State of Illinois.  Its purpose was to be a feeder to the canal.   Thus service was to be  established between the Mississippi River and Chicago.  In 1851, an amendment to the charter was granted by the state.  This allowed for extension of the railroad to Chicago.

Railroad construction began in 1851.  The Chicago to Joliet link was completed in 1852.  Passenger and freight service was provided on this route.  West construction was completed to Rock Island by 1854.  This put the railroad in direct competition with the I and M canal.    As a result of this, passenger service soon ended on the canal.  The railroad also competed for freight service.  It was operational year round.  It was faster than canal boats.

In 1866, the railroad reorganized as the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Line.   At its peak, service was provided to 14 states.  However the  future or the road was bleak.  .  It filed for bankruptcy in in 1932 and 1975.

Passenger service between Chicago and Peoria (through Joliet) ended in 1979.  The Rock Island shut down completely in  1980.    In 1978, RTA took over passenger service between Joliet and Chicago.  CSX acquired ownership of the track west of the DesPlaines River.  It provides freight service on this line.

 

 

This is a side view of Lock 15 Illinois Michigan Canal.  This the last western lock.  Distal to this lock is the steam boat basin.  This is where the Illinois River steam boats docked. Cargo  was transferred between the canal boats and the river boats.   Seen on this view are the limestone of the Lock walls.  There are no gates present.    In the back ground are the limestone piers of the Bulington Railroad Bridge.

This is a view of the the aqueduct over the Little Vermillion River in  LaSalle.    Railroad tracks are seen on the  left side.  The Alpha Portland Cement Company is also seen on the left.

It is difficult to describe the geography of the I and M canal as it winds its way through Joliet.  The reason for this is the history of the area.  The canal was completed between 1836 to 1848.  Until the 1890’s, it was very stable in appearance.  However, in the 1890’s, it appearance was altered by the construction of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.  A second alteration occurred with the development of the Illinois Deep waterway.

Possible remnants of Original Lock 5.

Originally, as the Illinois Michigan Canal headed  north and east towards the city of Joliet, it was adjacent to the DesPlaines River along its west bank.  A dam (2) was built on the river near Jefferson Street. This created a widening called the lower basin.  Just east of the dam, there was a guard lock on the canal at the site where the canal entered the river.  The purpose of this lock was to prevent the river from backing up into the canal. The merged canal and river proceeded east to Jackson Street.  At this location, there was a lock (5) and a dam. The dam created a second widening of the river called the upper basin.  The dam also provided hydroelectric power for Economy Light and Power.  The merged canal and river proceeded north and east of this area until the canal eventually entered its separate channel on itsway towards Lockport.  There was apparently a guard lock at this site.

With the creation and the extension of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, there were multiple changes.  The Jackson Street dam on the river was replaced  with an new one that was 2 feet higher. Lock 5 was rebuilt and raised 2 feet in height.  This new lock was in operation by 1899.  There was a bypass tunnel from this lock to supply water to the canal extending from north of the dam to Lock 6 at Channahon.  A concrete wall was built separating the canal from the river from  Jefferson Street probably to north of the Ruby Street Bridge.  This wall eliminated the need for a guard lock at the former confluence of the canal and the river.  This was taken down in the late 1890’s.  Finally, the Jefferson Street dam was taken down.

In 1908, the Sanitary and Ship Canal was extended two miles south.  In this region, there was a new power house.   A dam and lock was built at this site.  The lock was 22 feet in width and 130 feet long.  The maximum lift of this lock was 41 feet.    The lock was in service for only  several years.  This improvement was to replace the I and M Canal in Lockport and Locks 1-4.

In 1933, the Illinois Waterway opened on the Illinois River downstream from Lockport.  Several new features were constructed.  A new lock was built at the Lockport power house dam east of the original lock.  A large dam and lock were constructed at Brandon Road.  As a result of this, the I and M canal was flooded back through Joliet.    The tow path and dividing wall were submerged.   This also created a navigation pool extending back to the Lockport Dam.   The dam and lock 5 at Jackson street were eliminated.  Near the Brandon Road dam, a new lock (probably 5) was constructed for the I and M canal.  This connects the pool covering the original canal upstream to the remainining canal downstream.  The upstream side of this lock is covered by a concrete wall.  From personal experience, I can say that access to this area is restricted by the army corps of engineers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a view of the destroyed Nettle Creek Aqueduct.  The aqueduct bridges Nettle Creek in Morris.  Specifically it is located in Gebhard Woods State Park. It was destroyed as a result of a flood in April of 2013.

     Contractors working on this project include:  Nettlebrok, Pierce, Armstrong.

This a photo of the restored Lock 14.  A replica of a packet boat is seen beyond the lock.

    CCC shelter in Lockport, Illinois.   November, 2016

November, 2016

Dresden

Rutherford Inn Dresden

Rutherford Inn Dresden

Dresden Mule Barn

Dresden Mule Barn
     Any history of the village of Dresden in Aux Sable Township would be incomplete without considering Salmon Rutherford.  He came to the area in 1833.  Shortly thereafter he purchased land in Section 26.  He established a saw mill on his property.  He built the areas first inn.  It was called Salmon Rutherford Dresden Inn.  This was located on an established road.  The Frink and Walker Stage Company stopped at the inn to change horses.  A post office was established here for the Dresden area.  There was soon a second area inn called Peltier’s.  

     Rutherford also built a barn across the road from the inn.  It was adjacent to the Illinois Michigan Canal.  It was built in the 1830’s through the 1840’s.  It was apparently built in stages to reflect its various uses.  It was a grain storage facility, a store, and a mule barn for the canal. 

     Early in its history, the village of Dresden flourished.  Canal workers and surveyors could purchase their supplies here. There was a Catholic Church and Cemetery–Saint Mary’s.  

     Rutherford had high hopes for the village of Dresden.  The area was surveyed and platted in March of 1835.  There were 63 blocks.  However in 1858, the village began to decline.  This occurred when the Rock Island Railroad  was located in Minooka bypassing Dresden. No street, alley, or lot was ever opened up, used or improved.  No structures were ever built on any lots or blocks of the plat.  The plat was vacated in June of 1929.

     Remaining structures of Dresden include the Rutherford barn, the inn, and Saint Mary’s Cemetery.

     Kankakee

      Most people are unaware that before Kankakee, Illinois became the large city in central part of the state, there was another area with the same name.  

     During the years of the construction of the I and M Canal, an area named Kankakee was platted by the commissioners.  It was located off the DesPlaines River between its confluence with the Kankakee River and the area where the Kankakee Feeder crossed the DesPlaines River.   This is the site of the current McKinley Woods.  The area was promoted for settlement but it had no settlers.  By 1850, the name was taken the current Kankakee.

DesPlaines River near the site of the proposed town of Kankakee

Proposed site of Kankakee

     Rockwell
     With the planning and construction of the Illinois Michigan Canal and the availability of cheap land, settlers from the Easter U.S. began migration to the area.  One such individual that had a role in facilitating this migration was Did well Lathrop. .  He arrived in the area near LaSalle, Illinois in 1835.  He was an agent for land speculators John and Charles Rockwell of Norwich, Connecticut.  His task was to select and purchase land for settlement   He selected a half section  adjacent to the Illinois River near the mouth of the Pecumsaugen Creek.  He assumed the area would be good for development because the rumor was that it would be near the terminus of the I and M Canal.    The IC Railroad crossing of the Illinois River was also nearby.  He returned to Connecticut after completing the purchase.  

    In 1836,he returned with his family.  He laid out the plat for the town of Rockwell.  According to the text of the plat Rockwell “is very pleasantly situated and well supplied with good water, and limestone, and clay for bricks are abundant on the property.”     The lot size was 50 x 132 feet.

       .  By 1838, Rockwell had two hundred residents.  The town had two stores, a blacksmith shop, and multiple homes. .  Two factors led to demise of the area.  In 1838, it was struck by an epidemic of cholera that nearly wiped out the settlers.  Eventually, the canal terminus was located  west of the town in LaSalle Peru.   Ultimately, the town disappeared like many other small settlement s throughout Illinois.