As we close out 2023, we would like to thank our amazing partners for all of their hard work and support this past year in celebrating the 175th anniversary of the I&M Canal. We look forward to even more exciting collaborations in the coming year! If you would like to contribute to the mission of the Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Area, please consider making a donation >
Thank You For The Promotions!
- Governor JB Pritzker and the State of Illinois – Proclaiming April 2023 I&M Canal Month
- Blue Island, Village of Burr Ridge, Calumet Park, Carbon Hill, Village of Channahon, Village Of Chicago Ridge, Cook County Government, City of Crest Hill, City of Joliet, Village of Lemont, City of Lockport, Marseilles, City of Morris, Minooka, Village of Northfield, City Of Oglesby, Utica – Various proclamations by the mayors and chief executives
- Heritage Corridor Destinations – Collaborating with us on a Canal Towns Visitor Guide and in creating a 175 Places To See & Do section on their App
- Shaw Media – Providing amazing coverage of our activities
- WJOL, WCSJ, WCMY & Starved Rock Country Radio Group – Sharing various announcements and radio interviews during our anniversary year
- Forest Preserve District of Will County Marketing and Communications Team – Producing 175th Anniversary Celebration Interpretive Panels including 8 panels installed in 6 preserves (McKinley Woods – Fredericks Grove, McKinley Woods – Kerry Sheridan Grove, Lower Rock Run, Joliet Iron Works, Isle a la Cache and the Centennial Trail) and 2 panels in visitor centers along the trail as well as highlighting the 175th Anniversary in media articles and radio interviews when promoting their own Triple Crown program
- Village of Romeoville – Flying 175th banners on street lamps on 135th Street LaSalle County Historical Society & Museum – Flying 175th banners in front of their building
- Obscurity Brewing and Craft Mead – Crafting 175th Commemorative Beer–Locks, Docks & Mules–and providing funding for the Canal Boat field trip grants
- The Inn at Smokey Row – Sponsoring the map table at the new CCA office in Lemont
Thank You For The Events!
- Will County, Grundy County, + City of Ottawa – Hosting President Abe Lincoln (Kevin Wood) Reddick Mansion Association – Holding a reception for Mr. Lincoln & friends for the canal’s anniversary
- St. James of the Sag Church – Blessing the canal with a Mass, Lecture & Reception as well as hosting Patricia Camalliere for a Book Club lecture & book signing
- Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Isle a la Cache Museum – Hosting a zoom webinar titled “Journey Stories – History at Home: Canal Era”
- The Forge: Lemont Quarries + Indiana Dunes National Park – Staffing a Jr. Ranger Day
- Grundy County Historical Society – Highlighting the canal during their 100th Anniversary
- Lemont Public Library – Sponsoring a 175th lecture
- Village of Lemont – Including an open house at our Lemont office during their 100th anniversary event
- Forest Preserve District of WIll County – Holding 2 Jr. Ranger Days at Four Rivers in Channahon & a Fall Color Bike Ride on the I&M Canal at McKinley Woods
- Ottawa Canal Association + the Reddick Mansion Association – Hosting Canal Days with a Jr. Ranger Day & the “Lincoln & the I&M Canal Exhibit”
- City of Morris, Grundy County Chamber of Commerce & Industry, True North + I&M Canal Cleanup Coalition – Sponsoring I&M Canal Day Camp
- Forest Preserve District of Will County + the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for sponsoring the Triple Crown Challenge – a hiking challenge to hike the 3 longest trails in Will County: I&M Canal Trail, Old Plank Trail & Wauponsee Glacial Trail
- Lemont Public Library, Village of Lemont + The Forge – Sponsoring a Lemont Quarries lecture
- fForest Fest + the City of Morris – Providing a booth for 175th info & activities at fForest Fest
- Three Rivers Public Library – Sponsoring the Sweetgrass Book Club event for the I&M Canal Book Club series
- Starved Rock State Park, Utica + the @LaSalle County Historical Society & Museum – Sponsoring Jr. Ranger Days
- Illinois State Fair + Looking For Lincoln National Heritage Area –Sponsoring a booth for the 175th
- City of Marseilles – Sponsoring an I&M Canal Bike Station & a ribbon cutting
- Four Rivers Environmental Education Center – Offering tours to Canal Alliance Congress attendees & hosting this year’s Congress
- Grundy County Historical Society + IDNR – Sponsoring a lecture by Jill Jackson
- Lewis University + the Gaylord Building Historic Site – Making this year’s Regional History Symposium topic the I&M Canal
- Illinois Office of Tourism, Heritage Corridor Destinations + Joliet Area Historical Museum – Sponsoring a tourism listening tour in the IMCNHA
- Illinois Humanities – Sponsoring 3 history-based, music events
- ESCONI (Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois) + the CARBON HILL HISTORICAL SOCIETY / Carbon Hill School Museum – Sponsoring a Mazon Creek Fossil Day at the Coal City Public Library
- LaSalle County Historical Society + Utica – including our booth with Mr. Lincoln at Burgoo Days
Thank You For The Projects!
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources – replacing the Nettle Creek Aqueduct and therefore reconnecting the I&M Canal State Trail after 10 years
- Village of Romeoville, City of Lockport, Forest Preserve District of Will County, and CITGO – Working on a trail connection that will link the 3.26 mile Centennial Trail and the 11 mile I&M Canal Trail
- The Authors, including Ronald Scott Vasile, Eileen McMahon, Mark Walczynski, Michele Micetich and Mark Matejka – Contributed to the I&M Canal Stories which are being published on Substack and to Britnee Eccles for editing the stories, narrating them, creating audio files (you can listen to them!) and posting. Find them here >
- Midewin Tallgrass Prairie – Developing an I&M Canal Exhibit with artifacts from the Illinois State Museum
- City of Wilmington and the IMCNHA Cookbook Committee – Compiling historic recipes and other food-related information
- All the people that joined us at our annual Canal Alliance Congress – Brainstorming and planning events, activities and promotions for the I&M Canal’s 175th Anniversary
- Moe the Mule and his friends Nick vanDrielen, Ryan Barrett, Carter McLaughlin, Choice Phillips, and Pieter vanDrielen – Powering the I&M Canal Boat down and up the canal 254 times during the 2023 season
- And thank you to the rest of Canal Corridor Association staff and board: Ana Koval, Britnee Eccles, Susan Roy, Michele Micetich, Cyndi Valencia, Cricket Trutter-Hauff – Working so many weekends and/or extra hours to provide memorable experiences to visitors from all over the state, country and world
