Urbanization of Downtown LaSalle

Let's take a look at the development of LaSalle through history, specifically block 120. This block is bounded by Marquette (top), First (right), Gooding, (bottom) and Second Streets (left).

1888

The earliest map I could find is 1888, some forty years after LaSalle's founding. First street is obviously the most valued street, since that is where buildings are most dense. Decent building densities are also found on the streets radiating from First Street. Was Gooding Street really called Goodling, or is that just an error on the part of the mapmakers? I find it amazing that there are approximately three buildings on each platted lot. The LaSalle Hotel appears to be above several shops. All these pieces of evidence point towards an urbanizing process.

 1898 

Values on Marquette Street rise in 1898, possibly due to the increased traffic across the Shippingsport

Jane Jacobs: Four Generators of Diversity

 Jane Jacobs is an urban theorist, whose book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities examine the way we look at cities. She equated diversity with liveliness and a good quality of life.

"Diversity, of whatever kind, that is generated by cities rests on the fact that in cities so many people are so close together and among them contain so many different tastes, skills, needs, supplies, and bees in their bonnets."

She identified four generators of diversity:

1. Need for Primary Mixed Uses

"The district and indeed as many of its internal parts as possible, must serve more than one primary function; preferably more than two. These must insure the presence of people who go outdoors on different schedules and are in the place for different purposes, but who are able to able to use many facilities in common."

Commercial, Residential, and Religious buildings are all visible.

Lively districts should contain a mixture of uses, for example, restaurants, offices, residences, museums, garages, upscale retail, lowscale retail, industry, etc. The more different types the better, since that draws more people and more different kinds of people to that location. The connections made by these diverse groups of people form new innovations. Diverse uses also should try to ensure that there is always something going on. Diverse activities should be happening all the time. She gave an example of mealtimes, where a flurry of activity happens at mealtimes, but the rest of the day is rather dull. It is important that people mingle.  People should not be separated by the choice of  overhead walkways or alleyways that are only for deliverymen.

Dispute Resolution for Dummies

There are many ways to resolve a conflict. Our theoretical conflict will be a situation in which Jones keeps a vegetable garden. His garden attracts bees, as well as large-eared rodents. Jones can only work on his garden in the evening, since that is when he is home from work. Jones has a neighbor Smith. Smith is allergic to bees, their stings bring him out in a rash of poor decisions. He also likes his evenings to be tranquil, since he works hard during the day. Yet his evenings are filled with the sounds of clinking garden tools. One day Smith got stung by a bee, with a poor decision he broke his camel's back.  He marches over to Neighbor Jones' house.

The initiation of a resolution should involve negotiation. Negotiation involves each side trying to persuade the other to agree to a deal. For instance, neighbor Jones hears out neighbor Smith's woes, but rejects Jone's proposal to abandon gardening. He instead places a counterbid and promises to buy rubber garden tools. In a perfect world, Smith would accept this and see if those actions will be sufficient to his piece of mind. However, with his rash he does not accept.

Land Speculation and Dreams of Metropolis

Thompson Canal Survey Map of 1829

In 1830 a survey for the Illinois and Michigan Canal was made, prompted by the success of the Erie Canal completed in 1825. Since regular steamboat traffic was possible only up to the rapids at Starved Rock, the canal's southern terminus would have to be downstream from there. But where exactly?

Land speculation was a growing phenomenon in the Northwest Territory (today's Midwest), to the point that some humorously claimed that the entire territory from the Appalachians to the Mississippi was platted as a city. Think of the number of towns in LaSalle township alone that never became incorporated as their own municipalities: Rockwell, Piety Hill, Shippingsport, Crocketville, Jonesville, and Deer Park/Black Hollow.

All of the speculated towns back then dreamed of being cities. A description of Rockwell by the Rockwell Land Company highlights the features of canal, steamboat access, railroads, mill sites, school houses, stores, warehouses, and a ban on "ardent spirits." Famously Cairo, IL, was drawn as a bustling metropolis by its advertisers, misleading a few settlers into moving in to find only a few cabins. Urbanism was a goal and people were attracted by it. People saw wealth in being at the crossroads of commerce and industry.

Speculation as to the intermodal point at the terminus of the Illinois and Michigan Canal attracted heavy investment into gambling on that location. That location was deemed to be valuable as a center of commerce. The two ends of the canal were believed to be the location of the two gateway cities to the Midwest. All raw goods from the Midwest to the markets on the East would have to pass through the canal as well as all processed goods from the East on their way to the West.

Thus began the competition for the imagined future granted by the canal. Sometime before 1832, the town of Science was platted south of today's North Utica. Since there was already a small population, there was hope that the canal would meet the river there. In 1835 Peru and Rockwell were platted by speculators from the East. Rockwell was placed by Dixwell Lathrop, beleiving that the canal would utilize Split Rock Lake. Peru thought that it would terminate closer to slightly higher ground. Despite all this, in 1836, LaSalle was platted by the Canal Commission as the terminus of the canal.

Crudely Drawn Diagram showing the locations of potential termini

On July 1836 in Bridgeport, the Illinois and Michigan Canal broke ground to be completed in 1848.

Though many speculators plats vied for regional supremacy throughout the United States, only a few made it, leaving behind a great many sleepy little towns dreaming of the day when they will have their chance again.

Sources: LaSalle County Lore, LaSalle County: the Rivers and the Prairies, City of LaSalle Sesquicentennial, 1892 Plat Book: LaSalle County, Cities of the Mississippi: Nineteenth Century Images of Urban Development.

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