LaSalle County, Illinois

LaSalle County is a county located within the Fox Valley and Illinois River Valley regions of the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 Census, it had a population of 109,658. Its county seat and largest city is Ottawa. LaSalle County is part of the Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area of Northern Illinois.

LaSalle County borders Woodford, Marshall, Putnam, Bureau, Livingston, Lee, DeKalb, Kendall, and Grundy counties. Though LaSalle County is in the Chicago media market, it retains a unique identity with a mix of river towns and vast expanses of farmland. The county lies at the intersection of the Chicago, Peoria, Quad Cities and Rockford television markets with all four regions broadcasting within its borders and having a strong influence on the area, despite the county being only southwest of Chicago.

History

LaSalle County was formed on January 15, 1831, La Salle was the first European recorded as entering the area. He traveled the Mississippi River upriver from the Gulf of Mexico, claimed the land for France, or rather as a possession of King Louis XIV, and named it Louisiana. In 1680, he and Henry de Tonty built Fort Crevecoeur on the Illinois River in present-day Tazewell County, and in 1683, they constructed Fort St. Louis on Starved Rock in present-day LaSalle County. By 1857, the county was served by the daily arrivals of two trains of the Illinois Central Railroad.

As William D. Boyce reportedly founded the Boy Scouts of America in Ottawa, the council is named for him. He and two other founders established the BSA, but Boyce is given the sole credit since his faction of the BSA adopted the other two competing factions' elements within the organization. LaSalle County is within what is called the Lowaneu District of the W.D. Boyce Council.

In 1838, William Reddick, a local farmer and landowner, was elected sheriff of LaSalle County. He was hired to restore public order resulting from an influx of workmen creating the Illinois and Michigan Canal. Reddick served as sheriff for four consecutive two-year terms. The mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, as part of the Washington Park Historic District.

The tri-county area of DeKalb, LaSalle, and Kendall has been influential in terms of its politics, sports, multimedia, industry, and technology. DeKalb County was the birthplace of plant hybridization (DeKalb, DeKalb Agricultural), the hot-air hand dryer (Sandwich, Sahara-Pak), and is the home of supermodel Cindy Crawford, at least 7 MLB players, two NFL coaches, and three NFL players. LaSalle County was home to the Westclox Company for many years, it was the site of the first Lincoln-Douglas Debates, and was the home to the discoverer of Pluto, as well as a Wild West figure, multiple published authors, a legendary NCAA athletic director and coach, and multiple political figures. Kendall County is the home to a seminal piece of 20th Century architecture, the birthplace of the Harvester Reaper, (as well as the precursor to the International Harvester Company), the plastic tackle box and plastic-injection molding, and is the home of multiple athletes, politicians, and a former Speaker of the House of Representatives. DeKalb, LaSalle, and Kendall Counties have all been featured in major films, with scripts either having been written by residents or former residents.

LaSalle County was founded largely by immigrants from New England. These were old stock Yankee immigrants, who were descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the 1600s. The completion of the Erie Canal caused a surge in New England immigration to what was then the Northwest Territory. The end of the Black Hawk War led to an additional surge of immigration, once again coming almost exclusively from the six New England states as a result of overpopulation combined with land shortages in that region. Some of these later settlers were from upstate New York and had parents who had moved to that region from New England shortly after the Revolutionary War. New Englanders and New England transplants from upstate New York were the vast majority of LaSalle County's inhabitants during the first several decades of its history. These settlers were primarily members of the Congregational Church, though due to the Second Great Awakening, many of them had converted to Methodism, and some had become Baptists before coming to what is now LaSalle County. The Congregational Church has subsequently gone through many divisions, and some factions, including those in LaSalle County, are now known as the Church of Christ and the United Church of Christ. As a result of this heritage, the vast majority of inhabitants in LaSalle County − much like antebellum New England − were overwhelmingly in favor of the abolitionist movement during the decades leading up to the Civil War. When the New Englanders arrived in what is now LaSalle County, there was nothing but dense virgin forest and wild prairie. They laid out farms, constructed roads, erected government buildings and established post routes. In 1834, Norwegian immigrants settled in the northwest corner of the county. The construction of the Illinois & Michigan Canal brought thousands of Irish and Irish-American workers to Illinois. Many settled in the counties along the canal route. Ottawa and LaSalle County had a large Irish population due to the importance of Ottawa as a trade and industrial center on the canal. The election of the LaSalle County sheriff hinged on the Irish vote when a New Englander Woodruff was replaced as sheriff by William Reddick a successful Irish landowner following Woodruff's role in putting down a riot along the canal in 1837. Irish and German immigration to LaSalle County, especially LaSalle. Ottawa and Peru prior to the Civil War was such that many German immigrants joined Illinois regiments during the war. In the late 1880s and early 1890s, Irish and German migrants began moving into LaSalle County; most of these later immigrants did not move directly from Ireland and Germany, but rather from other areas in the Midwest where they had been living, particularly the state of Ohio. Immigrants around the Peterstown, Troy Grove, Meriden, Mendota, and Earlville area were largely of German descent, with the Mendota area directly being the epicenter of the German community in the county. Norwegian population has been strong in the area around Northville, Serena, Mission, and Miller Townships in LaSalle County, along with Little Rock and Fox Townships in Kendall County, and Sandwich and Somonauk Townships in DeKalb County. One such family, the Borschsenius family, runs the Norway Store in the unincorporated community of Norway, in southern Mission Township, and the family has been deeply involved with businesses and the school district of nearby Serena and Sheridan.

Ottawa was the first site of the famous Lincoln–Douglas debates on August 21, 1858. The community has a strong association with the 16th President, and elements of the downtown area of the city retain much mid-19th century architecture. People in LaSalle County were predominantly abolitionist in attitude, and many Underground Railroad sites were maintained in the county prior to the American Civil War.

Utica (officially North Utica) is considered the gateway to the Starved Rock area. Visiting three parks provides a full experience of the area. Starved Rock State Park, (south of Utica on Illinois Route 178), is the crown jewel. Matthiessen State Park (south of Starved Rock on Ill 178) has many of the same features of Starved Rock, but is smaller, and faces the Vermilion River to the west. Buffalo Rock State Park (east of Utica, and west of Naplate/Ottawa on Dee Bennett Road) has an enclosure which features American bison, as well as the mound sculpture complex, known as the Effigy Tumuli. The village was the site of a F3 tornado that ripped through the downtown and killed nine people on April 20, 2004.

On November 15, 2023, a magnitude 3.6 earthquake hit the county. [https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000lnhy/executive]

File:LaSalle County Illinois 1831.png|LaSalle County from the time of its creation to 1836, including a large tract of unorganized territory temporarily attached to it.

File:LaSalle County Illinois 1836.png|LaSalle County between 1836 and 1837

File:LaSalle County Illinois 1837.png|LaSalle County between 1837 and 1841

File:LaSalle County Illinois 1841.png|LaSalle County between 1841 and 1843

File:LaSalle County Illinois 1843.png|In 1843, the southwest corner was ceded to Marshall County, reducing LaSalle to its present size

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Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.1%) is water.

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Ottawa have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in June.

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2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 109,658 in 45,203 households, and 29,344 families resided in the county.

The median age was 42.5 years, with 21.1% of residents under the age of 18 and 19.7% aged 65 or older. For every 100 females there were 101.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 101.0 males age 18 and over.

68.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 31.6% lived in rural areas.

Of the 45,203 households in the county, 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 46.5% were married-couple households, 20.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

According to the 2006–2010 American Community Survey five-year estimates, the median income for a household in the county was $60,069 and the median income for a family was $72,583. Males had a median income of $50,214 versus $26,424 for females. The per capita income for the county was $31,020. About 9.7% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.8% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

The 2000 census age pyramid for LaSalle County is shown below.

Education

School districts

Secondary schools

Public

Earlville High School (CUSD 9), also has district area in DeKalb and Lee counties
LaSalle-Peru High School, LaSalle
Leland High School, Leland, also has district area in DeKalb County
Mendota Township High School, Mendota, also has district area in Bureau and Lee Counties
Newark Community High School, located within Kendall County, but serves Mission Township
Ottawa Township High School, Ottawa
Sandwich Community High School (CUSD 430), located within DeKalb County, but serves Northville Township
Seneca High School, also has district area in Grundy County
Serena High School (CUSD 2)
Somonauk High School, located within DeKalb County, but serves Northville and Adams Townships
Streator Township High School, Streator
Woodland High School, Streator

Private

Marquette Academy, Ottawa
Ottawa Christian Academy, Ottawa
St. Bede Academy, Peru

Colleges and universities

Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby

Infrastructure

Transportation

Transit

Amtrak (Illinois Zephyr, Carl Sandburg, and Southwest Chief)
Burlington Trailways
Mendota station

Airports

Earlville Airport, closed in 2010
Illinois Valley Regional Airport, Peru

Major highways

Utilities

LaSalle County Nuclear Generating Station, Marseilles

Communities

Cities

Earlville
La Salle
Marseilles
Mendota
Oglesby
Ottawa
Peru
Sandwich (part)
Streator (part)
Wenona (part)

Villages

Cedar Point
Dalzell (part)
Dana
Grand Ridge
Kangley
Leland
Leonore
Lostant
Millington (part)
Naplate
North Utica
Ransom
Rutland
Seneca (part)
Sheridan
Somonauk (part)
Tonica
Troy Grove

Census-designated places

Dayton
Harding
Lake Holiday
Serena
Triumph
Wedron

Other unincorporated communities

Altmar
Baker
Blakes
Catharine
Danway
Dimmick
Farm Ridge
Fitchmoor
Garfield
Harding
Hitt
Jonesville
Kernan
Leeds
Lowell
Meriden
Milla
Mount Palatine (part)
Northville
Norway
Peterstown
Prairie Center
Richards
Science
Serena
Stavanger
Sulphur Springs
Ticona
Triumph
Waltham
Wedron
Welland (part)
Wilsman

Townships

LaSalle County is divided into thirty-seven townships:

Adams
Allen
Brookfield
Bruce
Dayton
Deer Park
Dimmick
Eagle
Earl
Eden
Fall River
Farm Ridge
Freedom
Grand Rapids
Groveland
Hope
LaSalle
Manlius
Mendota
Meriden
Miller
Mission
Northville
Ophir
Osage
Ottawa
Otter Creek
Peru
Richland
Rutland
Serena
South Ottawa
Troy Grove
Utica
Vermillion
Wallace
Waltham

Ghost towns

East Wenona
Little Rock
Science

Politics

LaSalle has generally been a Republican-leaning swing county, more competitive than most in urbanized Northern Illinois.

In its early years, LaSalle County supported the Democratic Party, being southwest of the Free Soil strongholds in the far northeast of the state. Following the formation of the Republican party, LaSalle County voted for that party in every election until 1884, when it supported Democrat Grover Cleveland three consecutive times. Although the county gave a plurality to Woodrow Wilson in 1912 and supported Franklin D. Roosevelt in his first three elections, it otherwise voted Republican until 1960.

A Democratic trend, typical of Yankee Northern Illinois, saw Michael Dukakis carry LaSalle despite failing to win the election in 1988, and no Republican would carry the county again until George W. Bush in 2004.

Law Enforcement

Law enforcement in LaSalle County is primarily provided by the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office, which operates the county jail, patrols unincorporated areas, provides courthouse security, and manages civil process.

Visitor attractions

Hegeler Carus Mansion
Hopalong Cassidy River Trail
Illini State Park
Kaskaskia Alliance Trail
LaSalle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Matthiessen State Park
Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial
Mitchell's Grove Nature Preserve
Ottawa Avenue Cemetery
Plum Island Eagle Sanctuary
Starved Rock State Park
Washington Park Historic District (Ottawa, Illinois)
Wild Bill Hickok Memorial

Notable people

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James T. Aubrey (LaSalle) longtime president of CBS Television network
Bill Brown, (Mendota) former running back for the Minnesota Vikings
Herbert "Fritz" Crisler, (Earlville, Mendota) head football coach at the University of Michigan (1938–1947), namesake of the school's basketball stadium, and is credited for created the helmet design for the Michigan football team
Doug Dieken, (rural Streator) former tackle with the Cleveland Browns (1971–1984); color commentary for Browns radio broadcasts
Walter T. Gunn, Illinois Supreme Court justice, born in LaSalle County
J. A. Happ, (Peru) pitcher for New York Yankees; pitched for 2008 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies
Michael Hermosillo, (Ottawa) outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels and minor league affiliates
Wild Bill Hickok, (Troy Grove) noted historical Western Figure
Helen Hokinson, (Mendota) cartoonist for The New Yorker
Silas Johnson, (Sheridan) credited as the last pitcher to strike out Herman "Babe" Ruth; played for the Cincinnati Reds
Harry Kelly, (Ottawa) 39th governor of Michigan
Terrence Malick, (Ottawa) film director, known for Badlands and The Thin Red Line; born in Ottawa
Bob McGrath, (Ottawa), Sesame Street performer
Esther Hobart Morris, (Peru) First Female Judge in United States
Clarence E. Mulford, (Streator) wrote the "Hopalong Cassidy" cowboy novels
Cleng Peerson, established the community of Norway
Edward H. Plumb, (Streator) film composer, worked with Walt Disney on Fantasia; nominated four times for an Academy Award
Maud Powell, (Peru) violinist
Thomas E. G. Ransom, Civil War general, lived in Peru, namesake of Ransom
Adam Shabala, (Streator) former outfielder for the San Francisco Giants
Aaron Shea, (Ottawa) player for the Cleveland Browns
Clyde Tombaugh, (Streator) astronomer, discovered Pluto
Martin R. M. Wallace, (Ottawa) Civil War general
W.H.L. Wallace, (Ottawa) Civil War general
Walt Willey, (Ottawa) actor, known for All My Children
Gary K. Wolf, (Earlville) author of Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, adopted into the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Clay Zavada, (Streator) pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks

Notes

References

External links

LaSalle County, Il Biographical Sketches
LaSalle County Tourism