Community members are invited to cheer on participants as the coast-to-coast relay passes through La Salle County

LA SALLE, Ill. (Sept. 23, 2026) — The Canal Corridor Association (CCA) is partnering with the American Discovery 250 Relay to celebrate 250 years of American history and the outdoors.

The 6,800-mile relay, which runs coast to coast from California to Delaware, features a baton with a copy of the Declaration of Independence inside. The baton will be carried and passed from person to person across the United States. Following the 35-year-old American Discovery Trail, the route crosses 15 states and passes near the homes of more than 40 million people. It travels through lands overseen by numerous state and local agencies and organizations, as well as the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.

If the relay remains on schedule, the baton is expected to travel along the Illinois & Michigan Canal State Trail from La Salle to Ottawa on Oct. 9, 2026. CCA is coordinating this portion of the relay, which will include four stops:

  • I&M Canal Visitor Center in La Salle
  • Carey Memorial Park in Utica
  • Buffalo Rock Trailhead
  • Ottawa Toll Collector’s House

Community members are invited to gather at any of the four stops and cheer on relay participants as they make their way through the area during this once-in-a-lifetime celebration.

For information about participating or receiving relay updates, email admin@iandmcanal.org or call 815-220-1848, ext. 2.

The relay is one of several America 250 and Illinois 250 initiatives that CCA has sponsored or participated in this year.

“National heritage areas are all about working in partnership with others to share our history,” said CCA President Ana B. Koval. “As the coordinating entity for the I&M Canal National Heritage Area—established as the nation’s first National Heritage Area in 1984—CCA is proud to help bring this historic commemoration to our communities.”

The History of the I&M Canal at 250 Exhibit

CCA is also commemorating the nation’s semiquincentennial with The History of the I&M Canal at 250, an exhibit on display through the end of the year in the historic Vintage Room at the I&M Canal Visitor Center, 754 First St. in La Salle.

The new 18-panel exhibit features original illustrations by Tom Willcockson, acclaimed artist and author of Passage to Chicago. Beginning with the region’s Native Americans and continuing through European exploration, the birth of the United States, Illinois’ journey to statehood, the construction of the Illinois & Michigan Canal and its lasting impact on commerce, transportation and settlement, the exhibit traces the remarkable story of the region through to the modern era, including the 1984 designation of the I&M Canal National Heritage Area as the first National Heritage Area established in the United States.

About the Canal Corridor Association

Founded in 1981, the Canal Corridor Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that preserves history, protects nature and creates destinations where people can learn and have fun throughout the I&M Canal National Heritage Area.

Congress designated CCA as the local coordinating entity for the I&M Canal National Heritage Area in 2006. CCA also manages the I&M Canal Visitor Center in La Salle, including the Lock 16 Café & Gift Shop. The organization is partially funded through donations.

Media Contact:
Ana Koval
President, Canal Corridor Association
president@iandmcanal.org
(815) 342-9642