I&M Canal: Lock: #14 and #15 and Canal Boat Ride

Canal Boat: (Satellite)

#14: (Satellite)

#15: (Satellite)

I think #14 is the only I&M lock that has preserved its gates. But they are not used because a bulkhead has been added upstream of the upper gate.

Satellite

 

Illinois and Michigan Canal Photo Tour posted
Looking into Lock 14, LaSalle in 2006.
Paul Braun: From the river side looking back, right?
Dennis DeBruler: Paul Braun I agree, the view is looking upstream. It appears that the upstream gate is as tall as the downstream gate. I wonder if that was normal for the I&M Canal. That is not normal for most locks.

Andy Zukowski posted

Old US 51 bridge over Lock 14 

Bridge over Lock 14 looking east from Lock 15, what appear to be piers are actually for the bridge further east carrying Ill 351 of the canal and the RR, this section of US 51 thru La Salle was renamed Ill 351 when US 51 was rerouted over the Peru Bridge in the 1960's. Dave Wozniak photo

Don Lavotny: The changes over time are very interesting. I wonder why the CB&Q trestle is not visible in the foreground. Maybe it was not yet made or maybe this photo is taken from it or under it. My memories of it are from the 1960s.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Andy's post
The bridge was made in the 1800s, so it would be a question of when that bridge was removed, not made. I found that it was damaged and removed in 1979, https://web.archive.org/web/20160807020945/http://bridgehunter.com/il/la-salle/bh51036/. This 1970 aerial photo shows that the RR bridge was just east of Lock #15, so it would appear in the photo. The old bridge is not being used, but it still exists. After studying some Google Earth images, I discovered that the piers are extant, https://maps.app.goo.gl/jy413S19inLVSfYS8. The southern pier must be just out-of-frame to the right of the photo. The oldest usable Google Earth image, 1999, shows that the old bridge had already been removed. So the photo must have been taken after 1979 and before 1999.

Don Lavotny: Dennis DeBruler thank you for your awesome research.

 

We are looking downstream with the Illinois River in the distant backround.

Andy Zukowski posted
Lock 14 (foreground), Canal Boat Basin, CB&Q RR bridge piers, Lock 15, Steamboat Basin & canal to Illinois River junction

Back when the CB&Q Bridge still went over the canal near Lock #15.

Andy Zukowski posted
1 of several photos from "CB&Q Railroad Bridge over the I&M Canal, LaSalle Illinois."

Andy Zukowski posted
The CB&Q Railroad Trestle over Lock 14 at the I&M Canal in LaSalle, Illinois. 1980. Photo taken by Dave Wozniak

Andy Zukowski posted
Highway Bridge that went over Lock 14 over the I&M Canal with the Bridgtenders House in view at right looking East. Photo from the Ray Tutaj Collection

40:47 video @ 0:54

The canal basin was just west (downstream) of Lock #15.

Michael Nieslawski posted
LaSalle Canal Basin 1865 Canal Boat Cluster

Is that a zinc or coal mining operation on the right?

Larry E. Bird posted
Other Immke 1875 glass photo looking west toward Lock 14& 15.

Jane Ousec: Boat down

Larry E. Bird: Jane Ousec the wood boats leaked if not in use on regular runs.

A photo dump from my visit to these lock and canal boat.

20150808 3809

A screenshot from my video

Sep 16, 2025:

I&M Canal National Heritage Area posted

I&M Canal Boat To Permanently Close – Join us for one last journey ⛴️

Due to circumstances beyond our control–including inconsistent federal support and dredging of the canal–we are no longer able to fund boat operations moving forward. The final day of public boat rides will be Sunday, September 28, 2025.

With that in mind...

Don't miss your last chance to enjoy this unique experience. Get your tickets and come aboard our 76-foot, mule-powered The Volunteer, a full-scale replica of a 19th-century canal packet boat built to U.S. Coast Guard standards. Marvel as history is brought to life with every ride featuring an opportunity to meet our mule as part of "Mule Tending 101" and historical re-enactors and interpreters sharing the story of the 1848 I&M Canal era.

Tickets remain very reasonable, enabling you to bring the whole family:

Adults: $24

Seniors & Veterans: $19

Children (4-16): $10

Children (3 and under): Free

Family 4-Pack (2 Adults, 2 Kids): $59

Get your tickets here: http://bit.ly/IMCanalBoatTickets 

See our official press release here: https://bit.ly/IMBoatPressRelease 

📍 I&M Canal State Trail- Lock 14 Access, LaSalle, IL

Lynne Victorine shared

This is such a sad situation, overall. The boat was named The Volunteer to honor all those who gave of themselves to reclaim the canal area for the benefit of the public as an historic outdoor recreational resource.

I wish I could say I was surprised, but the state of Illinois didn't step up when it should have, and the move to make it part of the National Park system came at a time when the political landscape did not value what Teddy Roosevelt envisioned when he began setting aside federal lands for preservation. 

That said, I'm not sure how committed local support was to the notion of tourism being one way to entice business to the area. 

My current residence has a greenway that follows the Roanoke River. The idea of outdoor recreation being readily available for their employees has attracted a fair amount of clean industry to our region. The greenway, plus easy access to the Appalachian Trail, have been a big draw for us.

Regardless, this is a loss for the region, and for those of us whose relatives spent so much time and effort to make this a success.

Illinois and Michigan Canal Photo Tour shared with the comment: "Sad news indeed."

La Salle NewsTribune posted
The boat is for sale. The mule is for sale. The cafe and visitor center? The Canal Corridor Association will try to keep that in operation.
https://mrf.lu/t9Ws