The Erie or the Panama may have been bigger or longer, but the Illinois and Michigan joins those ambitious public works projects in shaping the region in which it was built. Designed as a vital link in the interstate transportation system, the I&M became the first and most ambitious of the Illinois’ internal improvements.

The canal meant goods and grain could be shipped efficiently, and that lumber and other supplies vital to the settlement of Ottawa could be transported here. It attracted settlers and land speculators who became some of the area’s most prominent citizens.

Also attracted by the promise of life in the west were thousands of laborers, mostly Irish immigrants, who built the canal and chose to stay in the area. Their life was a hard one. Begun in 1836 and completed 12 years later just as railroads were expanding as passenger routes, the canal never reached its full potential. During 75 years of operation, however, it shaped Ottawa and other towns along its banks. Now a popular hiking and biking trail, it continues to be a vital part of the region.

In the mural, the canal winds its way through space and time. A topographical map in the background gives us another dimension so we can look from front to back as well as from left to right. The mural’s vibrant colors mirror the vitality of the men who built it and the entrepreneurs who operated along it.