Opening of the Jackson St. Bridge Lewis University Canal and Regional History Collection "Opening of Jackson St. Bridge 17 September 1932. Jackson St. I&M still there. I&M lock barely visible on west side, but electrical power plant thing is. View is to the west." (from back of photo)

"Even before the Illinois and Michigan Canal was completed in 1848, the knowledge that it would connect Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River was a spur to the economic growth of Illinois. The canal transformed the City of Chicago from a small frontier town into a major transporation terminus connecting the East Coast, via natural waterways and the Erie Canal, to the Mississippi Valley". ("A prime Recreational Opportunity: The Illinois and Michigan Canal" Open Lands Project)

* From The Joliet Herald NewsUpdated March 1, 2000
duffy ingram