Lock  4 is located south of Lock 3 in Joliet.  It is accessed through the Joliet Iron Works Park.  There are no gates in the lock.  The walls are not original.  Water flow is brisk.

Lock 3 is located south of Lock 2.  It is closer to Joliet.  When we visited the area in summer of 2015, there was a brisk flow of water through the lock.    The walls are not original.  There are no gates present.  The lock can be accessed through the Joliet Iron Works Park.

     Lock 12 is located west of Ottawa.  It is accessed off Dee Bennet Road across the road from Buffalo Rock State Park. 

There is water running through lock. No gates are present. There is a bridge over the lock.

Civilian Conversation Corps was a public relief program operational from 1933–1942. It was similar to a program that Franklin Roosevelt instituted while governor in New York State.
It provided employment to unemployed single men between the ages of 17–28. The program was organized in camps of 200 men under the charge of army reserve officers. The attendees wore uniforms. They were paid $30/month. The majority of this money was sent home. They were provided with food, clothing and shelter.
During its nine years of operation, the C.C.C.had over 9 million participants. There were a total of 50 camps in Illinois. There were 8 along the I and M Canal and the Illinois Waterway.
There were 3 camps in the Starved Rock region (614, 1609, and 2601).
The three Starved Rock Camps were responsible for the construction of the large lodge as well as developing the extensive trail system in the state park.
There were 5 camps along the I and M Canal. –612, 631; Willow Springs to Romeoville; 630 Morris to Marseilles; 628 Buffalo Rock State Park. Various projects were undertaken in these areas. Canal was improved and cleared; Locks and other structures were refurbished. The canal path was improved. Bridle paths were constructed. Trail side structures were constructed. Parks along the canal were improved. These included: Fox River Picnic Region, Gebhard Woods State Park, Illinois State Park, Buffalo Rock State Park, McKinley Park in Will County.

In the towns along the Illinois Michigan Canal, breweries were established in the mid and later 1800’s. These businesses had variable success. Early on competition was virtually non existent due to the lack of refrigeration and pasteurization. A few of these breweries were successful and prospered for years. One of these was located in Peru, Illinois. It’s name was the Star Union Brewery.
The predecessor of Star Union was called Fred Kaiser Brewery. It was established by Mr. Kaiser. It’s location was on Pike Street in Peru, Illinois. In 1860, Kaiser sold the business to Benjamin Ream. For a number of years, the plant was run by Anton Hall, Mr. Grasmick, Mr. Eck, and Mr. Winheim during the Civil War. Subsequently, the company was purchased by Phil Link, Charles Bereiter, William Meyer, Fred Schulte, and Fred Seepe. It was incorporated under the name Union Beer Company in 1868. In 1880, Henry Hoerner bought the interests of Mr. Meyer, Mr. Schulte, and Mr. Seepe. He changed the company name to Star Union Beer Company. He served as president of the company until 1930. Mr. Link was a minority owner. The company ran as a brewery until prohibition in the 1920’s
The company converted to ice making and the manufacture of sodas and ginger ale. During this time, it was known it was known as Star Union Beverage. In the late 1930’s, the name was changed again to Star Union Products Company. After the repeal of Prohibition, the company resumed its brewing business. It became one of the largest breweries in Illinois. It had over 100 employees.
The bottling works was constructed some time in the interval between 1892 to 1909. It was expanded to the west in 1909 and 1916. It remained unchanged for many years. East of Pike Street the limestone walls of the brewery deteriorated and were torn down. There was an 80 foot red brick chimney. This was torn down in 1978
In 1931, Mr. Hoerner retired from the business. His son and daughter ran the business.
2 of the more well-known brands were Sepp’l Beau and Star Beau.
In 1963, Star Union was sold to Canadian Ace Brewery of Chicago. Canadian Ace had a long and somewhat checkered history. It was founded in 1893. It’s original name was the Manhattan Brewing Company. In 1919, Johnny Torrio (a known mobster) and Joseph Stenson ( a brewing magnate) bought the brewery. Later, Louis Greenberg ( the finance man for the Al Capone gang) gained control of significant stock in the brewery and assumed its management. During Prohibition, Greenberg and other underworld elements reorganized under the name Malt Maid and in 1925 Fort Dearborn Products. Beer was illegally produced on the premise. In 1932, Greenberg and well known mob boss Frank Nitti purchased the brewery. After the repeal of Prohibition, the company returned to regular beer production.
In 1933, the name was changed back to Manhattan Brewery. Until the mid 1936, beer distribution was confined to states adjacent to Illinois.
This changed with the introduction of the keglined beer can (metal coated to prevent contact of beer with it). This allowed for a more widespread distribution. The flag ship brand was Old Manhattan.
The brewery had business relations with other firms. It owned stock in Prima–Bismarck Brewery; it loaned money to Flood City, Whitewater, and Ann Arbor. Manhattan canned and bottled brands for these breweries.
In 1941, Frank Nitti committed suicide. At the time of his death, he owned 85% stock in Manhattan and an interest in Prima–Bismarck. In order to change the image of the brewery,
The name was changed to Canadian Ace in 1947. They also discontinued brewing Manhattan brands.
Canadian Ace ran the Peru Brewery brewery until 1966. It was closed because of the competition and costs of running the business. It remained a distribution center for Canadian Ace until 1868. The general manager at the time of the brewery closing was William Dresbach. He purchased the former bottling plant in 1968 and set up Dresbach Distribution Center.
In 2011, a Interesting event occurred in the area related to the old beer company.
One block from the Illinois River, an old limestone wall crumbled. This was part of the old brewery which sprawled over several acres. The ground opened up across from the Dresbach Distributing Company (part of the former bottling plant). This revealed a series of tunnels extending in all directions and connecting to the many buildings in the plant. It is believed that these served to remove beer by products dumping them in the Illinois River. It is also thought that ice and beer might have been stored in these tunnels at one time.

     The Carus– Hegeler families left their mark in the LaSalle region.  They were successful entrepreneurs.  Doctor Edward Carus founded the Carus Chemical Company in 1915.  This was located on 1500 8th Street in LaSalle.  Initially the company specialized in manganese products– permanganates and manganese oxides.  It was difficult to make permanganates commercially, of good quality and economically.  Dr. Carus was able to accomplish this task.  By 1928, Carus Chemical was established and profitable.  Other products added to their line included hydroquinone in 1935.  This was a photographic developer.  Also, manganese sulfate in 1928.  This was used in fertilizers in the citrus industry.  Both of the products were discontinued in 1977 due to economic and technological issues.
     In the late 1950’s, Doctor Carus two sons Blouke and Paul succeeded him in the business. 
They instituted a new market driven strategy.  They were very successful.  Since 1966, the company was the permanganate market leader in the U.S.  The company grew by acquisitions : Technical Products Corporation, Kjell Corporation, Industrial Quimica del Nalon in Spain. 
  The Carus family still plays an active role in managing the company.
     On the company web site, the organization is described in detail.  The umbrella organization is the Carus Group.  The subdivisions include: 1) Carus Corporation.  Products include water treatment products, drinking water treatment, waste water treatment, industrial products, oil and gas, phamaceuticals. 2) Alexander Chemicals.  Products includes acids and bases, gases, anhydrous HCL ) ; Sierra Chemical . It distributes environmental chemicals for municipal,agricultural, mining and industrial applications.

This passenger depot was constructed in 1913. It is located on the corner of Walnut and Main Street. This was replacement of a prior wood frame building. There was also an adjacent wood frame freight house built in the late 1800’s. This was also demolished. At the time of the construction of the new depot, Ottawa had passenger service with the Rock Island Railroad and the interurban electric line also known as Chicago, Ottawa, and Peoria.
The depot is a one and a half story brick building. It measures 60 x 25 feet. The foundation is concrete. The walls are buff colored brick. The roof is intersecting hipped with terra cotta tile. There is an interior brick chimney.
The tracks are seen along the west side of the building. Brick pavers extend from the west building to the tracks.

The current LaSalle County Court House is located on the corner of LaSalle and Madison Streets in Ottawa, Illinois. It was authorized by the Board of Supervisors in 1881. It was completed in 1883. It is a stone building. It was designed by M.L. Beers. The original successful bidders on the project were Weiss and Wolf. However, they were unable to complete the project. The project was then awarded to Thomas and Hugh Colwell. This building is 48.7 feet tall. It is four stories. The architectural style is Romanesque revival. The building was completed at a cost of $127,127.04.
The court house completed in 1883 was actually the fourth on this site. The first two structures were made of logs. The first court house was authorized on 12/5/1831. It was 2 stories high. It measured 24 x 16 feet. It was a wooden structure. Not much is known about the second courthouse. It was a wooden structure .
The third courthouse was a two story brick structure with columns on the south side. The third court house was constructed in 1841. William Flagg was the contractor. The project met with difficulties before it was completed. Cost for completion was $40,000. This was considerably more than the original estimate of $20,000. Jail cells were constructed in the basement. It was destroyed by a fire in 1881. Notable about this building is that Abraham Lincoln practiced here and the Illinois Supreme held sessions here from 1848 to 1860.

With the flow of grain shipments into Chicago along the Illinois and Michigan Canal, the railroads, and later the Sanitary and Ship Canal, the need arose for storage facilities to hold this produce until it was sold at the Board of Trade. This need was met was met with the construction of grain elevators. These facilities some upwards of 15 stories high rose along the Chicago River and the Sanitary and Ship Canal. Arriving by train and barges, wheat, corn, barley, and other crops were store in these elevators until sold. At the present time only 2 elevators are active–Archer Daniels Midland and the Illinois international Port Grain Elevator.
Many of the original facilities are no longer standing. Many stand vacant and deteriorating,too expensive to demolish.
The first grain elevators were developed in Buffalo, New York. However, they were improved in design and utility in Chicago by a grain merchant Ira Munn. He made his fortune building several grain elevators. He also was one of the first presidents of the Chicago Board of Trade.
One of the largest grain elevator complexes was owned by the Santa Fe Railroad. It was built in 1906. It is located on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. It is near the Damen Street exit of the Stevenson Expressway.
The Santa Fe facility was a huge complex. There were 35 concrete storage bins. There was a 1500 HP electric plant. It had 8 vessel loading spouts. The total capacity was 400,000 bushels. It could process 75,000 bushels per hour.
The site contains multiple silos measuring over 100 feet high. There is a cement building measuring 15 stories. In 1977, there was a massive explosion and fire at the site.
With the abandonment for years, the fire and explosion, the vandalism, the silos were converted to a shell of their former appearance. The site is currently owned by the state. Many attempts have been made to sell it without success.

I made a second visit to this region in the summer of 2015.  I took these two additional photos.

    The sulphur springs were on the south lot of the property.  However, I saw no evidence of them.